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It is not unusual to hear in the news that a dog has died due to the lack of common sense from their owners and being left trapped inside a car. It does not matter if it is for a few minutes or if the person believes it is not hot enough, an animal should never be unattended in a vehicle. Some people argue that leaving the window partially open is enough for ventilation. According to PETA.org, 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. The following are steps that should be followed in case an animal needs help out of the vehicle.
What to do when you see a pup inside of a hot car?
The following information has been obtained from My Dog Is Cool and Dogs in Hot Cars
- If you see a dog inside of a car, write the description of the car: color, model, make, and license plate number.
- Have a friend or another person keep an eye on the dog. Don’t leave the pup alone until situation is resolved!
- Go to the stores around the parking lot and have the owner paged in the store.
- If no one responds call local humane authorities or police.
- If police does not respond or too slow and the dog’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will testify your argument
- Take steps to remove the suffering animal, and then wait for authorities to arrive.
Look for heatstroke symptoms
- restlessness
- excessive thirst
- heavy panting, lethargy
- lack of appetite
- dark tongue
- rapid heartbeat
- fever
- vomiting
- lack of coordination.
If you see the dog to show any of these conditions, please take him or her to an emergency vet!
Please move the pup to shade and give him or her water. Ask around in the stores if they can provide you with room temperature water and slowly immerse and sponge-bathe the limbs and body until veterinary care can be obtained. Never use ICE or COLD WATER. If you put ice on a dog when his temperature is high and he shows the signs of heat stroke… you will kill him. Never use ice water or ice if a dog is suffering from heat stroke because ice constricts the blood vessels and traps heat inside the dog where you don’t want it.
The site massacreanimal.org provides people with free printout flyers to leave on cars if an animal is inside of a car when we see the temperature is not high and the pup is in no distress. In this manner people can be educated regarding the dangers of leaving an animal in a car.
For the print outs in English and French
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79JF0tnXyzE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TEEkfOSOhY[/youtube]
Our MDB car clings are back this summer! These handy (no residue) clings stick to your car window to show that you care for your pet – and to hopefully remind others not to leave dogs in hot cars.
Get your FREE clings while supplies last at: Bailey Blu Pet Boutique, Animalerie Little Bear and Doghaus Montreal! (French also available)
