Leaving Dogs in Cars on Hot Summer Days
I read Elsa McColly’s letter (July 19) about the two women shopping in a market while leaving their little dog in a car with the windows almost closed in the boiling heat. I understand her helplessness, as I have seen several heart-rending scenes like this.
The dog is barking frantically trying to ask for help and relief. It is particularly frustrating when one realizes that these are pets loved by their owners and these same owners would be horrified if they knew the possibly fatal consequences.
I finally wrote to the Los Angeles Society for Protection of Cruelty to Animals for information. They told me that on a hot summer day, the temperature of a car heats up very quickly. On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car, with the windows slightly open, will reach 102 degrees. On warmer days it will go even higher. A dog’s normal body temperature is 101.5 to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit. A dog can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 degrees for only a short time before suffering irreparable brain damage or even death.
The closed car interferes with the animal’s normal cooling process--evaporation through panting. If you come across an animal overcome by heat exhaustion, give immediate first aid by immersing the animal in cold water until the body temperature is lowered. Then get to the veterinarian.
The SPCA urges animal owners not to leave pets in a closed car. To leave an animal under such conditions in the heat, is cruel and punishable under California law, Penal Code Section 597, which is a misdemeanor statute carrying a $500 fine, six months in jail, or both, upon conviction. If you find an animal in such dire straits, please call the SPCA. Their officers are authorized to take the animal out of the vehicle because of a life-and-death situation.
If you must leave your pet in a vehicle, please park in a shady area with the windows opened sufficiently to provide ventilation and leave a dish of fresh water. But most of all, pet owners, if it is too hot to leave him in the car, please leave him at home. Take the heat off your pet.
DIANE BRANDT
Los Angeles
