Can I leave my dog in the car: Concerns about heat and cold
If your pet is like most dogs, he probably loves to ride in a car – the wind blows in the face, the sun warms the coat, and new smells excite. You love to take it with you, which means that at some point you will have to leave the dog alone in the car for at least a few minutes. How to comply with the requirements for the safety of a dog in a car and what to do if you see a dog locked in a vehicle on a hot day – in this article.
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How quickly does a dog get too hot or too cold?
According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, on a relatively cool day, around 20 degrees Celsius, the interior of a car can quickly heat up to 45 degrees – most of this temperature increase occurs in the first 30 minutes. A dog in a car in the summer, not even on the hottest day, can get heatstroke if its body temperature reaches 41,1 degrees Celsius.
Opening a window and parking in the shade won’t make much of a difference. The problem is that cars are conductors of temperature. Even in the shade and with the windows lowered, cars conduct and amplify the outside temperature – it may not be very warm outside, but it will become unbearably hot inside your car.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, leaving a dog in a cold car is just as dangerous as leaving it in a hot car. With the stove turned off, low temperatures can turn the machine into a refrigerator. Therefore, the dog in the car in winter will freeze quickly enough.
When is it safe to leave your dog in the car?
In general, it is safe to leave your dog in the car in both winter and summer for no more than five minutes if the outside temperature is above zero and below 20 degrees Celsius.
Here are a few more tips to help you safely leave your dog in the car:
- During daylight hours, open your windows and park in the shade.
- Don’t let yourself get distracted and forget you left your dog in the car. A five-minute deal can easily become dangerous for your pet if you forget to get back to the car as soon as possible.
- If there is a passenger in the car with you, let him stay with the dog and turn on the heater or air conditioner.
What can you do to keep your dog out of the car?
You can ask at the store or cafe where you went shopping or having a bite to eat if you can take your pet with you. You might be surprised how many establishments are happy to let dogs inside on a leash or in a carrier. Due to regulations set by health codes, not all companies allow pets, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Some establishments even install special temperature-controlled dog kennels in front of the entrance. For a small fee, you can leave your dog in this enclosure, where it will be securely locked up while you shop. When you finish your business, you can pick up the dog, pay for the service and hit the road.
If you did not go on a trip alone, your companion can get out of the car with the dog and, holding it on a leash, wait in a shady place.
However, the safest option on hot or cold days is to leave your pet at home (or in a dog hotel), especially if you plan to make stops in places where animals are not allowed.
What to do if you see a dog left in the car
If you notice a pet left in a car in dangerous conditions (remember that if the temperature outside is only 20 degrees Celsius, the air in the cabin can heat up to dangerous values), the first thing you should do is find the owner of the car . Write down the make, model, and number of the car and ask someone near the parking spot to help find the owner.
If no one can be found or the owner continues to ignore the dog, you need to contact the authorities. Some countries have laws against leaving pets in parked cars, so the owner of the dog can be fined or otherwise held accountable.
Keep in mind that breaking into a locked car to rescue a dog should only be a last resort. While this is considered legal in some countries, it is usually best to leave it to the authorities as it can be dangerous for you or the pet itself.
Keep Your Dog Safe
No matter how exciting it may seem to you to travel on business with a dog in a car, the safety of the animal should be paramount. Although under certain conditions the dog may not be alone in the car for long, it is still better to leave your furry friend at home if you are going somewhere where they will not be allowed.
