Never Leave Your Dog In A Hot Car – Not Even For A Second!

Ever come back to your car when it has been parked in the sun all day and it’s too hot to sit in? Well, imagine being locked in the car with that kind of heat. This is exactly why you should never leave your dog in a hot car.

It’s crazy to think that people would even consider leaving their dog in a parked car on a hot day – but people do.

And these actions can result in brain damage, pain and suffering, and even worse death due to heatstroke or suffocation.

According to the PETA website

“On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 to 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.”

You will often hear people say things like

• I left the window open
• I was only gone a few minutes
• The dog had water and was fine

But those things won’t save a dog when the temperature soars.

Dogs can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.

How Hot Does It Get In A Parked Car?

The following video shows how hot is gets inside a car and the suffering that this Doctor goes through to demonstrate what it might be like for a dog.

What Are The Signs Of Heatstroke In Your Dog?

A dog can suffer from heatstroke or suffocation from being left in a car for only a minute. Even with a window down it doesn’t mean the temperature in the car won’t be too much for them.

Excessive panting and signs of discomfort indicate overheating. Along with scratching at the window, a swollen tongue, appearing disorientation and vomiting.

What To Do To Cool A Dog Down?

• Cool the dog down with wet towels to reduce their temperature and try to move them to a cool/air-conditioned area. Ideally place them in a cool bath of water if you can.
• Encourage them to drink water – although you may find they are only able to drink small amounts of water if they have been panting excessively. Make sure water is available to them at all times.
• Make sure you take them to the Vet immediately to get checked out and continue to monitor their temperature. It’s important that a Vet looks at your dog to make sure there are no ongoing health concerns as a result of the trauma.

How To Avoid Having Your Dog In A Hot Car?

• Leave your dog at home rather than bringing them with you on car trips. If it’s a warm day then your dog will be much more comfortable at home in a cool house.
• If you are bringing your dog then make sure that wherever you are going is dog-friendly and you can take your dog inside with you. There are lots of Dog Friendly Cafes in Ireland that you can visit where your dog will be welcomed and even given their own bowl of water.
• Bring someone with you who can take care of your dog while you are running errands. It’s much better for your dog to take a short walk, stand in the shade and be monitored while you are not there.
• Hire a Pet Sitter to take care of your pets when you can’t be with them.

What To Do If You See A Dog In A Hot Car?

• Take down the vehicle details and if you are a near a shopping centre ask them to put a call out to the owner. Most shopping centres have loud speaker systems and will be able to put a call out for the person to return to their car.
• If the car is parked outside shops, or a business, then go in and look for the person. Ask people to help you search for the owner and express the seriousness of the situation.
• Contact the local authorities with details of the car and ask for their assistance. The authorities will respond and assist in removing the dog from the vehicle.
• Try to remove the dog from the car through the window. In most countries it appears to be illegal to break a car window so proceed with caution if attempting to remove a dog from the car.

Tips To Keep Your Dog Cool In The Summer.

Our 4 tops tips for keeping your pets cool this summer are

1. Limit walks to cooler parts of the day.
2. Make sure your pets have plenty of water.
3. Outdoor pets should have plenty of shade.
4. Never leave your dog in a hot car.

Read our full article about Summer Safety Tips For Pet Owners.

Please share this with other dog lovers. You might think everyone knows that it’s not safe, but people still are leaving their dogs in cars when it is warm.

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