Thinking about bringing your pup with you to run some errands this summer? You should really think again. In just 10 minutes, the temperature inside your car can rise almost 20 degrees and in one hour your vehicle’s inside temperature can reach more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. To give you more perspective, on a 70-degree day, the inside temperature of your car could reach up to 110 degrees with your dog inside while you run into a store.

Hundreds of pets die from car-related heat stroke each year from being left alone in the car for too long on ‘just a warm day.’ Heat exhaustion in a dog can start when their core temperature reaches 103 degrees and when the core body temperature reaches or exceeds 106 degrees, heat stroke can set in. Maybe a cracked window or two will help the heat escape? Think again. A parked car that has cracked windows heats up at almost the exact same rate as a car that has its windows rolled up according to studies done by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). 

Thirty one states have laws that prohibit leaving a confined animal in a vehicle under dangerous conditions while also providing a person who rescues a distressed animal from a vehicle protection from being sued, aka civil immunity. The animal must be confined or unattended in a parked or stationary vehicle and the conditions in the vehicle have to endanger the animal’s life for a person to perform a rescue. Pennsylvania has the Animals in Distress Law which allows public safety professionals to remove dogs and cats from unattended vehicles when it’s deemed to be in danger by any means. Extreme temperatures, dehydration or collar and leash entanglement are considered dangerous conditions for pets and they can be rescued by law enforcement, animal control, humane police and emergency civil responders. 

Leaving an animal unattended in a vehicle can have more of an impact on you than you may think. Penalties can vary state to state; a few states make it an immediate fine like other civil infractions while the rest of the states assign it as a misdemeanor penalty. Fines for that can range from a couple hundred dollars to thousands of dollars and can also include jail time. Animal neglect penalties in Pennsylvania range from fines to jail time. A summary offense could mean up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of $300. A misdemeanor of the third degree could mean up to one year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine if the neglect causes bodily injury or places the animal at imminent risk. 

If you see a pet in a hot car that you believe to be in danger, don’t attempt to rescue it yourself because the PA law does not protect civilians. You can start by taking down the car’s make, model and license plate number. Go into nearby businesses and have them make an announcement to attempt to locate the owner.  If the owner cannot be found after that attempt, call local authorities. 

We’ve all done the ‘we’ll be back in just a minute’ talk with our pets when we take them on a trip with us to run errands, but we may need to revise our thought processes when it comes to those summer temps. Sometimes leaving them at home in the air conditioning is the better option if you’re going to be in and out of the car for errands. Just give them that extra night walk or more belly rubs to show them they didn’t really miss out on anything! Remember that your car can be a cool place to take an adventure, but it heats up faster than you think when the air isn’t running and is parked for longer than ‘just a minute.’

If you’re looking for a way to help get your pup on some adventures during the day, Going Mutts Pet Services would love to introduce you to daily dog walks! We take the time to find the shady routes and make sure your pup stays away from the hot pavement and is always hydrated during the summer. Ask us how we can help your canine burn off their extra energy with our customizable pet care packages. Drop us an email - info@goingmuttspetservices.com - or visit our website.

Sources:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dogs-in-hot-cars/

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/pets-vehicles

https://www.aspca.org/news/dogs-hot-cars-and-other-summer-dangers

https://franklinpet.com/blog/the-facts-about-dogs-in-hot-cars/