At some point, all of us have felt the temptation to leave our dog alone in the car for a few minutes. This is particularly true if you are running errands and some stores are not dog-friendly, but that does not mean it is a good idea. As soon as the temperatures outside start rising, you should avoid leaving your dog alone in the car, unless you leave your car running with the air conditioner going.
It Is Much Hotter Inside the Car
The thing to remember is that even if it feels just mildly warm outside, your car is much hotter. After 60 minutes of being parked, the interior temperature of the car can be 40 degrees warmer than the outside temperature. If the outdoor temperature is in the 80s or 90s, or higher, this is obviously much too warm. Even in just ten minutes, the temperature inside can rise by almost 20 degrees. By 20 minutes, it may have risen nearly 30 degrees.
Cracking Open a Window Does Not Help
You may think that it is okay to leave your dog in the car for a few minutes, provided you crack a window open. This may decrease the rising temperatures slightly, but not enough to make any sort of difference. Even if you crack a window, your pooch will still be at risk if you leave them.
The Main Concern Is Heatstroke
Due to the extremely hot temperatures within a car, the main concern is heatstroke. Heatstroke can be deadly, giving you more than enough reason to avoid leaving your pooch in a hot car. Heatstroke occurs when the animal’s body temperature rises. Humidity can also be worsened by a lack of water, overexertion, humid conditions, and obesity. There is a higher risk of your dog experiencing heat-related problems if he is young or old, has a chronic health condition, is sick, or has a short nose and flat face.
It May Be Illegal
Depending on where you live, there may be laws against leaving your dog alone in the car, especially on hot days. Most specify that you cannot leave animals unattended in your car in situations which could pose a danger to them. In total, there are 19 states with laws like this in place. That means that leaving your canine alone not only puts him at risk but can also be illegal.
Leaving Air-conditioning on Resolves One Issue
If you absolutely need to leave your dog alone in the car on a hot day, at least make sure to turn on the air-conditioning. This is the best way to keep the temperature down. Realistically, however, you should not leave your pet alone in the car at all due to other risks. Your dog could crawl into a small space and get stuck. If you have the car on for the air-conditioning, they may accidentally press a pedal or shift gears and cause the car to start rolling. Because of these risks, dogs in cars should be restrained.
Your best option, however, will be to avoid leaving your canine companion alone in a parked vehicle at all.