If you have to go shopping and must take your dog with you….
Do NOT leave your dog in the car when it is HOT outside…
In a Stanford University study, when it was 72 degrees outside, a car’s internal temperature climbed to 116 degrees within one hour.
Enclosed cars heat up quickly. In a study by San Francisco State University, when it was 80 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car rose to 99 degrees in 10 minutes and 109 degrees in 20 minutes.
A dog’s normal body temperature is between 101 to 102.5 degrees; a dog can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death.
Studies show that parking in the shade or cracking the windows has little effect on a car’s internal temperature.
Signs an animal is in distress include:
- Excessive panting
- Excessive drooling
- Increased heart rate
- Trouble breathing
- Disorientation
- Collapse or loss of consciousness
- Seizure
- Respiratory arrest
At least 14 states and many municipalities have laws that specifically address the problem of animals left in cars in extreme temperatures. These laws often authorize law enforcement officials to enter a vehicle and remove the animal. Even states without these provisions may consider leaving an animal in an enclosed car to be animal cruelty.
Blog Hop time… thanks to Life with Dogs,Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume… grab the blog hop code…
