3 minute read
Protect your Pet this Summer! Cosy Balok
By Cosy Balok, Director of Animal Control
Many news reports of dogs suffocating inside cars on warm days have been reported throughout the summer months. Here are some suggestions for you to help prevent a pet from dying from distress.
It only takes minutes for a pet left in a vehicle on a warm day to succumb to heatstroke and suffocation. Most people don’t realize how hot it can get in a parked car on a hot day. However, on a 78° day, temperatures in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90° — and hit a scorching 160° if parked in the sun!
Even when the outside air temperature is in the 60s, temperatures inside some vehicles can reach the danger zone on bright, sunny days. For this reason, many experts recommend you do not leave pets or children in parked cars even for short periods if the temperature is in the 60s or higher.
Rolling down a window or parking in the shade does not guarantee protection, because temperatures can still climb into the danger zone. And if the window is rolled down sufficiently, the pet can jump out and escape. Plus, if a passerby claims he or she was bitten through the car window, the pet owner will be liable.
What about leaving the dog in the car with the air-conditioning running? Many people do this, but tragedy can strike—and it has. For example, in 2003, a police dog in Texas died after the air-conditioning in the patrol car shut down and began blowing hot air. The air system’s compressor kicked off because the engine got too hot. Many cars, including modern models with computerized functions, are prone to the same problem.
Animals are not able to sweat like humans do. Dogs cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paws. If they have only over-heated air to breathe, animals can collapse, suffer brain damage, and possibly die of heatstroke. Just 15 minutes can be enough for an animal’s body temperature to climb from a normal 102.5° to deadly levels that will damage the nervous system and cardiovascular system, often leaving the animal comatose, dehydrated, and at risk of permanent impairment or death.
Here are some tips to help guide you:
• Leave your dog at home on warm days if at all possible. • On trips with your pet, bring plenty of water and a bowl. • Do not let dogs ride loose in truck beds. The hot metal can burn a dog’s paws. • The wind, sun, and flying debris can hurt the dog. • The dog can accidentally be thrown out to the truck if the brakes are suddenly applied. • The dog can jump out if scared or upon seeing something interesting to chase. • Instead, use a crate to create a safer space for the dog if you can’t fit the dog inside the truck cab.
Take the dog into the shade, an air-conditioned area, or to the vet if you see signs of heat exhaustion: which include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, dark tongue, rapid pulse, fever, vomiting, glazed eyes, dizziness, or lack of coordination. To lower body temperature gradually, give the animal water to drink, place a cold towel or ice pack on the head, neck and chest, and/or immerse the dog in cool (not cold) water. Call your veterinarian.
If you see a pet in a vehicle on a hot day, take immediate action.
Note the car make, model, color, and tag number, then go to the nearest store/building and ask the managers to page the owner.
Call the police, who can usually respond much faster than the animal control departments. The police have the capability to enter the vehicle and rescue the pet.
It is against the law in most jurisdictions to leave a pet unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the animal.
This summer make special plans for your animals, making sure to keep everyone safe and cool.
