Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Cars/ Dogs/ Summer/ NO!


At 4:20 PM Sunday July, 21, 2011 after 3 continuous days of temperatures of 90* plus someone left a beautiful brindle boxer in a car in the middle of a parking lot. The windows were open about 4” and one was open enough for this dog to get his head out as far as his neck could stretch. He barked frantically at intervals as his tongue was wide and as flat as he could make it as he panted between cries from help. I called the police, as I circled the parking lot waiting for the owners to come rescue him. I told the police dispatcher that if no one showed up in one minutes I was getting the dog out of the car. As I walked towards the car the cruiser pulled into the parking lot. I pointed to the dog and returned to my truck. From a possibly air conditioned car the officer drove by, looked at me as if I was nuts, smiled, waved, and drove away! As I sat in my own unairconditioned truck with the windows wide ope sweating in the heat, I was stunned. Just then, after a good half hour, a young couple came or of a store, got in the dog’s car and drove away.
                What could I do? The police officer, obviously not a dog owner, determined this poor suffering animal was alright, that I was stupid and interfering and had basically wasted his time. I and so tired of watching the helpless ones having no saviors. That poor dog, though able to get his head out the winder was seriously overheating in that hot car,
                I worked for a vet years ago when a sweet young miniature poodle was brought in by his loving owner. The dog had been left in a hot car for a very short time. The dog’ body temp had gotten so high his brain basically cooked. The dog was euthanized in his sobbing owner’s arms.
                Dogs should never be left in cars in the summer. They do not sweat, their only way to cool off is to pant, that is not a sufficient cooling mechanism in a car that can reach 100* plus, even with his head out a window. I know the man with the poodle loved his dog. I know he would never intentionally harm it, would probably have died for the dog. He made a terrible mistake – his dog could not be saved. “I’ll only be a minute” he thought – only a minute.
                And so, I pray that dog survives his young owner’s possible future “mistakes”. If there isn’t already a law concerning this issue, there should be. I have seen this so many times. And the police, who are supposed to be our rescuers don’t always understand. I have lived with animals all my life, I have seen things that very few get to see. Some good, some, like the brain damaged poodle, not so good. I have made my share of “mistakes” too (I could write books on the subject of my own “mistakes”) But animals or children in hot cars is very, very, BAD!
                I am not a whistle blower when I say something animal-related is wrong it is wrong!! So all, Leave your dogs at home in summer, it is so easy for “just a minute” turn into ten or twenty minutes – by then, it might be long enough to cook your dog’s brain.

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