Protect your dogs

As an animal lover, I have been dismayed during the recent hot weather to see a fair amount of dog owners leave their dogs inside locked cars in various parking lots with the windows slightly cracked for so called “ventilation.” Most of these cars were parked in the hot sun, not even parked in the shade. The poor animals were panting profusely, some even whimpering or barking.

These people likely meant to be kind in taking their dogs along with them, but they could be putting their beloved pet’s life at risk.

On a hot summer day the inside of a car heats very quickly. Information from the Animal Protection Institute indicates that on an 85 degree day the temperature inside a car, even with the windows slightly open, can reach 102 degrees in 10 minutes. In 30 minutes, it will go up to 120 degrees, and on warmer days go even higher.

A dog’s normal body temperature is 101.5 to 102.5 and dogs can withstand a body temperature of 107-108 degrees for only a very short time before suffering irreparable brain damage, or even death. A closed car interferes with the dog’s normal cooling process, and even cracked windows are not enough to keep a dog safe from the danger of heat.

So next time you go out for errands or lunch on a hot summer day, please give your best friend a break and leave him or her home, not in your hot car. —Ann Christensen, Kalispell