Every summer a lot of dog owners leave their pets in the hot car without realizing the real dangers for a dog and how fast the temperature inside can actually rise. Besides, well-behaved people cannot just open the unfamiliar car forcibly in order to save a pet without facing any charges in many states.
It is a fact that a car may turn into the terrible burning hot oven in a very short period of time, even if it does not feel that so warm outside. For example, when it is a 78-degree day outside, the actual temperature inside of the parked car can rise to 110 degrees or even more in less than 20 minutes. Moreover, when it is a 90-degree day, the temperature inside of a car will reach unbearable 160 degrees in 10 minutes or less. ("Dogs in Hot Cars and on Hot Pavement") It is fundamental to mention that beating the heat appears to be extremely dangerous for the dogs due to the fact that they can only cool themselves by sweating through the paws pads and by panting. As a result, there is a high chance that they can even die from heatstroke or the brain damage that may be caused in less than 15 minutes of being trapped in a hot car. For these reasons, it is crucial to emphasize that there are several steps that people can do to save the dog trapped in a very hot car.
First of all, it is necessary to remember the color and the model of a car and take a picture or write down the license plate number. Secondly, it is possible to go to the nearest building and politely ask the manager or the security guard there to make a special announcement in order find the dog owner as quickly as possible. It is always significant to keep in mind that the dog may be suffering at the moment and the "savior" should act as quick as possible. Thirdly, he/she has to go back outside to the car or ask somebody you know to keep an eye on that dog in order not to leave it until it is safe. When car owner appears, it would be useful to talk to him/her and share some facts about critical outcomes of this "hot" situation. However, in case when the owner refuses to do something or does not show up at all, it is crucial to call animal control or 911 immediately. ("5 Things to Do if You See a Dog in a Hot Car") In addition to this, if there are any heatstroke symptoms experienced by the dog such as heavy panting, excessive thirst, restlessness, lack of coordination, vomiting, lethargy, rapid heartbeat, dark tongue, lack of appetite, or bloody diarrhea, it appears to be an emergency! ("Dogs in Hot Cars and on Hot Pavement") That is why even if the police are unreachable or they cannot to come at the moment, people’s instinct can decide to break the window of the “burning” car as soon as possible and to set the suffering dog free.
Next, when the "savior" manages to get a dog out of a car, he/she needs to take the pet to the air-conditioned vehicle or a building. Furthermore, he/she should to provide water for the pet to drink, or maybe even spray the pet with a garden hose or immerse it in the tub of not very cold water for a couple of minutes in order to decrease the body temperature. It would be also helpful to place a god in front of the electric fan or apply some wet and cool towels to the paws, stomach, chest, and groin area. As a matter of fact, the "savior" should be careful not to overcook the animal and not to use ice. Then it would be useful to contact a veterinarian or call the animal control and inform them about the situation.
Under those circumstances, it should be pointed out that without any proper justification provided, it may be named as a serious criminal damage, because consequently, it would be likely for a person to defend his/her actions in the court. That is why it is mandatory to make sure the "savior" tells the authorities what he/she was willing to do, the purposes, take at least some pictures of the saved pet or pet sitting in that hot car as well and even remember the mobile numbers of the eyewitnesses to that incident as well. It should be noticed that the law mentions that the "savior" has a real lawful excuse to cause these damages only in case if she or he was sure that the damaged car’s owner would have agreed to break the window if he or she was aware of the circumstances.
What is more, it is very important that today a person who left his/her pet unattended in a closed car, when it is cold or hot outside, can actually immediately get a $125 fine. This law will go into effect in one week from now, according to the information on kirotv.com. To tell the truth, even if this law cannot stop dog owners from ignoring the safety and health of their pets, the Everett Animal Shelter is going to monitor this issue with the help of special tags, which will be put inside of the cars of all dog owners to regularly remind them on the temperature of their loving pets.
As has been noted, it is essential to educate people about the dangers of staying in the “burning” car for the pets, and also to create the law projects regarding the pets left unattended in the dangerously hot cars in the summer as well as the laws for citizens which are trying to help a pet trapped in an extremely hot car.
Additionally, it would be great to create an application for mobile phones, which would be able to send messages to the dog owners in the case when the car temperature rises and especially when the temperature reaches life threatening. For example, it might be a specially designed collar with a little thermistor to measure dog's temperature and a sim card with a chip, which will allow this device to send the instant notifications to the dog owner informing about the state of his/her pet.
Works Cited
"5 Things to Do if You See a Dog in a Hot Car." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2015. <http://www.peta.org/action/see-dog-in-hot-car-video/>.
"Dogs in Hot Cars and on Hot Pavement." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2015. <http://www.peta.org/issues/companion-animal-issues/cruel-practices/dog-hot-car/>.
