kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833 
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Post by kskatt on Aug 24, 2015 0:17:05 GMT
A dog in a car that is obviously in distress, I would head for the nearest store, restaurant, whatever, as I call 911. That one is easy, I hope.
You see a dog in a car, windows are cracked an inch or two, hot day, car in direct sun. The dog is not in distress, but in those conditions could soon be.
Think of scenarios and say when you would be concerned enough to do something, what would you do.
I ran into a situation a few days ago, I want to see some answers and see if I was out of line or not.
If you take your dog for rides in the car, how do you take precautions?
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Aug 24, 2015 1:38:38 GMT
If the dog was not yet in distress, I would probably wait a few minutes (maybe 5) to see if the owner came back. After that, I would probably call the police and/or animal services and wait there until they showed up.
I don't own a dog but if I did, I don't think I would bring him with me if I knew I needed to make some stops along the way (except for maybe stopping for gas or other, really quick stop - read...less than 2 minutes or so.).
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Aug 24, 2015 1:38:57 GMT
That's a tough one. I won't take my dogs in the car if it's hot out. Even if I leave the a/c on I don't trust it as some dogs have died after the car shut itself off for some reason. And I'd worry that even if it were running someone might get all crazy and break the window anyway. Plus, while I do have remote start it only runs for a certain amount of time. What if something happened and I didn't get back to the car in time? I only take my dog or dogs if I'm not doing anything where I'd be out of the car for any length of time. The longest amount of time I'd be out of the car without them would be running into a convenience store.
As far as seeing a dog in a hot car, I'd break a window if I thought a dog was really in distress and needed immediate help. Or go into the closest business and try to find the owner and get them to come out. Or I'd call the cops and wait there for them to arrive and keep an eye on the dog. It would depend on the situation.
Years ago Heather saw a truck with a dog in the box waiting outside of a store. The dog was screaming. The truck was black and the box was metal and it was burning. There was a crowd gathered around and when the owner came out she got all pissy with the people who were there telling them that he was fine and was just a big baby. First, I have a real issue with idiots that drive around with their dogs in the box of their trucks and second, someone should have pointed out that his paws were burning but nobody did, according to Heather.
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Post by horselady on Aug 25, 2015 1:24:47 GMT
A couple of years ago when leaving wally world and going into the parking lot i heard whimpering. i hate to see dogs and kids in a car on a hot day or cold day. so i searched for the car and saw this dog cowering under the dashboard panting and whimpering. / to me he was in distress. i got the attention of other people in the lot, one lady went to courtesy counter and i called the switch board. while looking at this poor dog who now was on the seat trying to put his nose thru the one inch open window. yup not big enough to unlock the door and not enough for air for the dog.
wall mart said they can do nothing, the cars are not under their control. and i called the police. now 15 minutes went by and owner never showed up and the police said they can do nothing as the car was on private property. the cops wanted no part of the situation. i became a bit nasty and the police decided to use his slim jim and open the door and save the dog. 20 minutes went by and this dog would have been dead in another 5 he was so hot. i had my tire iron in my hand ready to break the window and the cop knew i was going to do it. 8 people were all surrounding this car and the police. and somehow i got to be the person in charge.
dog saved , i left. i would do it again and defend myself to anyone and any court of law.
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Valhallanite
Junior Member
Dutchess County, New York
Posts: 826
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Post by Valhallanite on Aug 25, 2015 2:59:34 GMT
I think an inch or two on a hot day in the sun is not near enough ventilation. Something bad would happen eventually. I take my dog in the car fairly often to go walking or visiting family, but I don't take him anywhere I have to leave him in the car. One time I was on an hour drive with him, and I became soooo tired, I just had to get some caffeine or something sweet to stay awake. There were no drive through places so I stopped at a gas station/convenience store. I was lucky to get a space right in front, and opened all the windows about 10 inches. The whole time I was inside I watched him through the store window. I think people were a little nervous to pass the car as he is a big dog. I was more worried about someone stealing him.  |
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kskatt
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Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Aug 25, 2015 5:10:18 GMT
I was at Dillons, done shopping, with my elderly mother. Black SUV pulled up right next to me, woman got out and headed for the store, little, long haired dog yapping it's little head off. I am not good at confrontation, basically a coward. I called out, "are you really leaving your dog in the car?" She was a decent distance, she hesitated a breath, put her hands up in the air and walked on. Looking back I wish I had waited about 5 minutes then gone into the store, had he paged, "owner of black....." hopefully embarrass her. The windows were more like four inches, hopefully enough no one could steal the dog. Isn't that a horrible thought all by itself, you'd pray they wanted a dog or to sell it for enough not to be used as bait. That, by itself scares the crap out of me! OKay, it was mid 70's, not a hot day, but in the direct sun I could break into a sweat. Windows down a ways, but I've sat in a car, waiting for mom, with the windows down farther than that and the car was getting too hot. I'm not sure the temp matters that much in the direct sun.
I was frazzled, didn't know what to think. I did need a quick run to PetCo, needed a packet of Pill Pockets. PetCo is right next door, barely far enough to drive to. At PetCo, I couldn't think and called 911, learned I'm a crappy witness! I knew black, CXL (I think, knew it then), sticker in back window and tag number. But, what row the car was parked, oops; very poor description of woman; maybe on the slender side, um 5'8"??, shortish, light brown or grey hair. I didn't pay attention when she was at the vehical so I saw her back, at a little distance, but darn it would have helped to notice what she was wearing!
Have to admit I was a little pissed that she blew me off like that. But, I really hated that little thing in that black SUV in the direct sun. There are a few trees, you might have to walk a little ways, but shade makes a huge difference.
i drove straight back and went to where we were parked; check on dog and see what row/location. It wasn't there anymore, she had been quite fast. That was a sigh of relief, for the dog. When I had a quick visit with the officer that had come, she made the comment that it was only 74 degrees and doubted the dog would have been in any real danger. I'd love to find a chart, or whatever, that tells what temp the inside of a car can get in different temps. seems to me one of the things brought up in commercials is how it can get really hot in a vehicle, even when it's not "bad" at all in the open.
Did I go overboard, make too much of it? I can't help but have this vision of watching the news that night and see a report on a little dog, in a black SUV, at Dillons having to be rescued and maybe even dying. You just hear about that happening so much.
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Post by horselady on Aug 25, 2015 11:28:37 GMT
My thought it. "if it makes you feel better knowing you have helped that little dog than that is a good thing" , so be prepared to learn a little more about being a witness and practice on a daily basis of trying to remember places and people. i would have done the same thing.
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Aug 25, 2015 20:16:07 GMT
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Valhallanite
Junior Member
Dutchess County, New York
Posts: 826
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Post by Valhallanite on Aug 26, 2015 3:17:11 GMT
That chart reminded me that when I adopted my dog I got a goody bag with little trinkets. One of them was a tag that you are supposed to hang from your car mirror that tells you when it's too hot for a dog. Well I had hung it on a coat tree in my house, not even in the sunlight, on a particularly hot summer day this is what I saw. (If you can't see, inside the black circle it says "Extreme heat get out immediately!") mini-graphics-sunbathing-and-summer-131792 So my house was too hot for a dog!! Attachment Deleted |
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Aug 26, 2015 5:00:12 GMT
mistersmom, me thanks thee very much. Next time I go to the store I am going to (try to remember to) time the length of time I'm out of the car. But then, I know my store's layout and I'm pretty quick. I walk fast and am constantly going around people. I should time it when mom is with me.  The chart should scare anyone, even on "cooler" days it still gets up there. I have called cars ovens before, all metal and glass. You can start fires with glass. I think I've seen too many reports on dogs in cars, that get overheated. I bet the actual statistics are seriously low, so many dogs in cars, and they love it! Valhallanite, you need an air conditioner! Do you think it was a gag gift? Kind of a reminder? Either that thing has a quick trigger, or you have a phenomenal heat tolerance!  |
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Post by ladymcts on Aug 26, 2015 12:36:25 GMT
This is an interesting discussion for me ... as a new dog owner, and having a dog who LOVES car rides, I find myself always debating over taking her or not. I'm glad to see that chart provided ... maybe I will use it as a basis to test with my own truck, out of curiosity.
Somewhere else I saw an article that admonished readers to not leave a dog and go into a store for even 2 or 3 minutes, because some woman somewhere got literally held up in a robbery that kept her hostage, and her dog died during it. Um, well if I lived in fear of that level of "it might happen," I'd simply never leave the house.
So far my "worst" was one day when I had her with me for good reason (a stop at the vet's), and was trying to obtain a fast lunch. The drive thru was jam packed, so I opted for a hot dog cart in the mall parking lot. I was able to leave the truck running with A/C on, and watch it from about 30 feet away. And yet, I felt panicky the whole time, and when the hot dog people were just taking freaking FOREVER, I just gave up and went back to the truck.
As for what to do about the woman in the black SUV, I hear you loud and clear on all counts. It was maybe a lesson to stay with the vehicle, write down what you can about it and its owner, and keep an eye on it directly. But I understand why you did what you did - I can be a weenie about confrontation too. (Until I get too mad, of course.)
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The chart should scare anyone, even on "cooler" days it still gets up there. I have called cars ovens before, all metal and glass. You can start fires with glass. I think I've seen too many reports on dogs in cars, that get overheated. I bet the actual statistics are seriously low, so many dogs in cars, and they love it! 
