Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Hot Car = Dead Dog

By

With the onset of summer comes the stupid people who leave their dogs in cars.

You know it’s true.

A number of my fellow bloggers have been posting about this topic in the past couple of weeks.

Have you seen, Once Again: Dog + Hot Car = Dead…Get It? by Mel at No Dog About It Blog or Dogs And Hot Cars : The Real Tragedy by Kristine at Rescued Insanity?

I’ve been known to hear a dog bark in a parking lot and troll the area looking for the dog, and then I will call the cops.

I work for an engineering firm.  Last week my boss sent me to a local town hall to drop something off.  I pulled into a parking spot and a pick up truck pulled in next to me.  Seeing as 1) I’m a woman and have had it drilled into my head to be aware of my surroundings and 2) I’m a writer with a very active imagination I looked over.  I saw the tell-tale ears indicating there was a dog in the truck. 🙁

As I approached the door to the building the man (probably in his late 50’s/early 60’s) was right behind me.  I paused and asked him if he intended on being in the building long.  He said no.  Then almost as an afterthought asked, “Why?”

I explained that I worried about the dog being left in the vehicle as most people aren’t aware how quickly the vehicle heats up.  He responded that he was aware of vehicles heating up, which was why he needed someone to help him.  (I took that to mean, he was going to use that to get a quick response.)

My business took 5 minutes or less.  When I came back out to my car I noted that his truck was still parked there and the windows weren’t cracked very much at all.  It was a nice day, probably in the 70’s and not humid, but still my car was warm after me being only gone 5 minutes!  I debated on what to do.

I had to go to the post office which was about 30 seconds down the street, so I made an agreement with myself that I would do my business and then check back on the truck.  If it was still there I would go inside and raise the roof or at the very least call the police.

When I came back from the post office (possibly 10 minutes later) I breathed a great sigh of relief to see the truck gone.  I can tell you my heart was pounding in my chest as I approached the town hall.

This morning I saw another post Is That Outfit Really Worth Your Dog Dying? by Jen from My Brown Newfies.  Jen works for a vet’s office and her post explained a lot about the physical reaction a dog has when it’s in a hot car.

In the comments Jodi Chick mentioned how she carries thermometers from the Dollar Store and bumper stickers and slips them inside the windows.  (She’s brilliant if you ask me, besides with a name like Jodi…)

Ever since I’ve read that I’ve been on the internet hunt for bumper stickers but I keep coming up busted.  I did however use the website that was posted on Jen’s blog picture and found MyDogIsCool.com where you can download and order fliers.

I still would like a bumper sticker though, preferably a magnet so if anyone knows where I might find one……I’d be really grateful. 🙂

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Comments

  1. The only time I’m confrontational in life is when kids and animals are involved. I’ve had some unpleasant experiences involving dogs in hot cars, but I look at it this way: those people have had an unpleasant experience with me. Maybe they will remember it.

    • I can’t believe how passionate I’ve become about animals, I always try and approach it diplomatically, I don’t want to be known as that crazy blogger lady. 🙂

  3. So glad that you went back and the truck was gone. I’ve checked out the My Dog Cool’s website, (Probably gonna be my BTC post), and it’s great that they have those fliers to pass out.

    • Yes I can print off fliers at work and pepper the parking lots. 🙂 I have my BTC post started. I don’t want to toss one off half-assed like the last one. 🙂

  4. Great post! I love that website – mydogiscool.com & I can’t wait to print out those flyers. My hope is that I’ll never have to use them!

    • I hope you don’t either Michelle. Hell I hope I never have to use them! I also see a trip to the dollar store in my future. he he he

  5. I was relieved to hear the truck had gone when you returned, but even so, it is not worth the risk of leaving a dog or a child for any length of time in a car on a hot day.
    Sadly, some people do not seem to be getting the message about the dangers, and I wrote a post on it a while ago – http://passionateaboutpets.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/dogs-die-in-hot-cars-fact
    The more we can do to make people more aware of the dangers, the better, and those bumper stickers are a great way to start. They just might make people think twice before leaving their dog in the car.

    • I agree Barb, thank you for sharing!! Education is key. The more we post, tweet and share the more we educate.

  7. It’s so important that you and others continue to call these owners out on their reckless and irresponsible behavior. In the city, it’s not only people leaving their dogs in hot cars, but tying them to trees and bicycles racks in the blazing sun with no water while they run errands that take far too long or have brunch and/or extended cocktails. It’s just not right. I understand that dogs want and need to be about, but not in conditions that put their health at risk.

    • It should be against the law. That way at least a cop could give them a fine. Then they could go on the animal registry and no-one would let them have an animal again…..oh that’s in my little world. 🙁

  8. Thank you for sharing my post. I also read Jen’s and Kristine’s posts and thought they were really good. I especially liked how Jen explained a dog’s reaction. However, I missed Jodi’s comment about the thermometer and the bumper sticker! What a great idea!

    I am so glad you shared this. Now I need to go over and read the whole comment so I understand. I want to do the same thing. If you find those bumper stickers please let me know. I am so glad I stopped over to read your post!

    BTW – confronted a guy just this past weekend. 90 degrees, humid as hell and there was his dog sitting in his hot car. Yes. I said something. Ugh!

    • Oh you’re very welcome Mel, it is a very important message to be shared. There are a couple of links in the comment section and after I check them out I will let everyone know.

      Good for you for standing up for the dog. People are so stupid.

  9. Great post!

    I saw Jen’s post this morning and I have been posting on facebook about it and I also shared her post to my wall. I like her idea about using the media to get the word out.

    You can make your own bumper stickers here http://bumperpet.com/ and they are removable so you can move them around. I made some of the dogs and they turned out very nice.

    • Thanks Misty!! I keep posting on FB too. If we tweet, share and post enough we will make a difference.

      I may make up some bumper stickers!

      BTW, I did comment on your blog but it didn’t show up. Could you check your spam folder?

  10. HI Jodi, great post…I am planning to do a similar post, but first I need to take a few photos and gather my thoughts. I am so frustrated seeing dogs left in hot vehicles, as you know I did call Animal Control on a lady that left her Boston Terrier in a kennel in her car. I agree with others we need to educate folks on the dangers.
    I kinda wish we could set up a simulation exercise where the pet owner would have to dawn a “furcoat” similar to their dogs and sit in the car with the windows cracked on a hot summer day….just might wake a few people up. hmmm….I might be on to something!!

    Love that Mydogiscool.com website, found it a few days ago and have made up a number of the fliers 🙂 and if necessary I will be using them. I have also that of calling the local media to see if they would do a story. Can’t hurt to ask!!
    Let me know if you find the bumperstickers–great idea!!

    • Ooooh Val that’s a great idea, furcoats and media. What a winning combination:-) There has to be a way to get thru to people. I know how hot my car gets with a cracked window. What kind of pictures are you taking?

    • I think bumper stickers are a great start Bassa. We really need to educate people. Do you see this kind of thing in Georgia?

      • I haven’t seen any stickers Jodi but neither have I seen many dogs in cars. It may be because of a different attitude towards dogs. Many dogs are yard dogs whose purpose is to protect – they don’t go out. I do see some people walking dogs that are obviously treated as pets but to see a dog in a car is rare.

  14. In here plenty of people do that, car access to the center of the city is limited to 45 minutes, so people park their cars in the streets that give access to the old part of city. I live in the main street, around the corner from a police station, people leave their dogs in the car for much longer than 45 minutes, it has always pissed me off, even before I got Doggy, it’s common sense. It pisses me off that there’s nothing I can do, the police won’t do anything to help, unless you are lucky enoug to find an officer that’s animal lover, otherwise they look at you, look the officer next to them, shrug their shoulders and tell you there’s nothing they can do.

    • Aren’t there any kind of laws to protect the animals? The one thing you could do would be to print off some fliers and leave them on windshields where dogs are. It might get thru to someone. I’d much rather leave my dog at home then in a hot car. Those officers should be ASHAMED of themselves!!

      • I’m sure there are laws, but sadly nobody to enforce them. The feeling of having your hands tied it’s hard to explain when you see thing like these happen.

    • Thanks Kristine, I’m not even sure if we have a DART! LOL I will check it out and see, maybe there is an affiliate link?

  16. It amazes me and scares that it seems like we all experience seeing a dog locked in a hot car more than once a year, and we are people from all over the world. This is such a big problem! I was thinking last night that if we all did what Jodi does maybe we would make a bigger impact! Before you know it people would be saying “Whatch out for those bloggers who leave thermometers and stick stickers on your car!” Oh……I love it!

  18. Good for you, Jodi. Even though a person might be cantankerous and seemingly disinterested in what you say, you know they will think about it next time.

    • You are right Big Al, maybe they will think twice about it. If it saves one dog from dying in a car it is worth the discomfort I feel at the confrontation.

  20. Hi Jodi,

    I can’t believe people are STILL leaving Dogs in Cars – how would they like to be trapped in a boiling hot car?

    I agree with you, education really is the key 🙂

    Great post,

    Your pal Snoopy 🙂

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