July 31, 2024
It has been very hot this summer. We all want to stay inside with that cool air conditioner blowing. When we go out, say, shopping or to doctor appointments, we want to be cool in the car after being in the heat. Just like us humans, our pets feel the same way. So, what happens when we don’t give them the chance to feel that way? What happens when they are in the car in the blistering heat? The outcome is not good. According to The Humane Society of the United States (humansociety.org), “On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees.”
Eventually, the heat takes its toll. The Humane Society then describes the effects the heat has on our animals, saying, “Your pet may suffer organ damage or die.” Sad, isn’t it? Keeping our pets safe should be our #1 priority, but instead, people still subject their pets to this.
Let’s say one day you see an animal sitting in a hot car. What do you do? The Humane Society says, “Take down the car’s make, model, and license plate number. If there are businesses nearby, notify their managers or security guards and ask them to make an announcement to find the car’s owner. Many people are unaware of the danger of leaving pets in hot cars and will quickly return to their vehicle once they are alerted to the situation.” They also suggest to call animal control or the local police.
Unfortunately, some dogs succumb to the overwhelming temperature in the vehicle. In an article by Seth Jackson, from the Providence Journal (providencejournal.com), titled, “On hot days car temps can climb 20 degrees in 10 minutes. What to know about hot car deaths”, explains that “The group, people for the ethical treatment of animals (PETA), stated that in 2023, 163 pets died as a result of being left in hot cars. In 2022, 58 pets died in hot cars. In 2021, 60 died in hot cars.”
So, what I ask of you this summer is to please be careful about leaving your pets in the car. Thank you.
The next article will be about how to protect your pets from their paws getting burnt on the hot pavement and asphalt.