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"The animals have no voice but ours..." |
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Hot cars spell doom for dogs
You know what’s kinda crazy? Every year when the weather turns hot, I will hear a story of someone leaving an animal in a car. I would think that with so much animal advocacy in the press and on television and all around, that eventually people would realize this isn’t a good practice. Apparently, yet again, I’m mistaken. A friend of mine said she was in a parking lot, saw the dog in the car with the windows rolled down only slightly and was just about to call someone when the man came out of the store, petted and loved on the dog and drove away. She said he obviously cared about his animal, why in the world would he leave him in the car? I couldn’t answer her question. Even though I’ve said it probably once a year for the past six years, I’ll say it again. On warm days, the inside of a vehicle can act just like an oven, reaching temperatures of 120 degrees in a very short amount of time. Even with the windows cracked a bit, there’s still no way an animal can cool himself down enough to not suffer. In a locked car an animal can experience heat exhaustion, heat stroke and even death in a remarkably short period of time. Animals aren’t like us. They don’t really sweat. They cool themselves by panting (the air across their tongue has a cooling sensation) and through their toe pads (heat is released and relief can be found if an animal steps on a cool surface). Some pups will use their bellies to get cool, too. Have you ever seen a dog stretch out on linoleum floors in the summer? He’s trying to put his bare belly against a cool surface in order to regulate his body temperature. With those minimal ways to cool down, locking an animal inside a hot car is a surefire way to practically guarantee he suffers. Within ten minutes in that kind of heat, an animal can succumb to heat stroke. After that, you’re looking at permanent brain damage. If they don’t get emergency care immediately by that point, they could actually die. Even leaving the air conditioning running isn’t a fail-safe bet that the car will stay cool. In fact, I’ve discovered that with my car, it almost has to be in motion in order for the air conditioner to actually blow cold air. In other words, just leaving the car idling doesn’t cut it. If you want to see what it’s like, let’s perform a little experiment. The next relatively warm day, put on your thickest sweatpants and socks. Find your best winter coat for holding the chill at bay and sit in your car with the windows only slightly cracked. I’d wager you’re not going to make it very long. Now imagine what it’s like for your dog. Look, I know people want to spend time with their pets. Heck, I know a lot of dogs absolutely adore car rides and get uber excited at the prospect of riding shotgun with mom or dad. But even a quick stop at the grocery store can turn into torture for Fido, waiting in a car where the temperature continues to rise. So when the weather’s warm do what’s best for your pup and leave him at home where it’s cool. He might seem a little disappointed, but in the long run, I promise you, he’ll be grateful. ***** Jennifer Vanderau is the Director of Communications for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at cvasoc@innernet.net. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. Animals available for adoption can be viewed at www.petfinder.org. CVAS also operates thrift stores in Chambersburg and Shippensburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the stores.
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CVAS, Inc.