Gail Fisher, All Dogs Gym & Inn - The perfect place for pets and their people

“We enjoy reading your column in the Sunday News every weekend. I am writing to you about the potentially deadly problem of drivers leaving their dogs in their hot cars while running errands. In the last 3 days alone I have seen 3 cases of dogs being left in hot cars - - twice in supermarket parking lots and just a few minutes ago in a bank parking lot. In all cases, it was sunny, hot and humid out with the outside air temperature above 90 degrees. In two cases, the windows were rolled down about two inches, which is not enough. In the third case, the windows were rolled all the way up and the car was locked, but the engine was running with the air conditioner on. What if the motor stalls when the A/C compressor cycles??? In all three cases, I quickly contacted the store managers so they could page the customer and get relief for the dogs. I have also checked with local police and they suggest calling them right away as these situations are considered animal cruelty.

“I implore you to run a column about this situation as soon as possible. I know you have written about this in the past, but folks must be reminded, especially about the misconception that rolling down the windows an inch or two is enough to keep the car and dog from overheating. They also don't realize how quickly a car's interior can reach temperatures of 120 to 140 degrees F and how quickly a dog can go into heat stroke.Thanks again for all you do for dogs!”

Well put! The only thing I would add to this reader’s message is that leaving your car in the shade is not an answer either. It is far too easy to get distracted, take longer than you planned, and in the meantime the sun shifts.

If you absolutely must take your dog with you, park in the shade, cover both the car roof and windshield or rear window (whichever faces the sun) with a heat reflecting thermal blanket, leave windows on both sides open at least eight inches or more, with battery operated fans to circulate outside air into the car. Leave a bowl of cool water for the dog to drink, and check on him every 10 minutes. Sound too difficult? Then don’t take a chance -- leave your dog home.

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Copyright © Gail T. Fisher, 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.alldogsgym.com For permission to reprint this article or suggestions for future topics, please contact us.

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