Montage Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 The other day it would have been about 32 degrees and I noticed a dog in a car with only one window down about an inch. The dog was panting a bit but looked pretty relaxed. I'm not really sure how dogs respond to heatstroke though. I waited for a good 15-20 minutes for the owners to come back but in the end I had to leave. I left a note on the car saying that hot cars kill dogs, having the window down a few centimeters is not good enough. Did I do the right thing or should I have waited? I didn't want to end up in a huge argument with the owner because I was a bit upset about it. What would you do in this situation? I notified one of the sales people in Bunnings who kindly lent me some sticky tape for the note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngeK Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Dont know if they do anything about it here but in Holland you ring the police, they come and break the window, wait for the owner who then gets a fine. Some people are just soooo stupid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skitch Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I'm surpirsed the people in bunnings didn't do more. I work for a supermarket and this happens all the time in our carpark.. people are forever coming in to to tell us that there are distressed looking dogs locked in cars on hot days! A few times it's even happened with children but that's a story for another day.. anyway, when this happens a staff member always goes out to the car and checks out the situation.. more often than not they just wait with the car and offer the dog water through the window if possible but I can recall two instances where our store manager has actually broken windows to get dogs out.. one of those times he was too late and the small elderly dog had died! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I would call the police. I have a feeling that they would be obliged to turn up to a situation like that and they would be allowed to break the window to get the dog out. And/or call the council/RSPCA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I would go into the shop and insist the car owner was called over the PA and asked to immediately return to their vehicle. If the owner did not respond within a reasonable amount of time I would ask that the shop staff call the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiekaye Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 In NZ the SPCA will come and break into car to get dogs out. I think they have to have the police present too. I remember once in Whangarei they broke a window of the car to find it was a stuffed dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I would of called the cops ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) Yoicks, I hope no one ever breaks our car windows. We sometimes leave our doggies in the car for about 5-10 minutes but no one looking at the car would know how long they'd been there. We like to socialise our dogs and bring them along with us for short trips. Sometimes one of us goes inside while the other takes the dogs for a little walk around the shopping centre but if it's just a short trip and we both have to go, then we don't want to tie them up outside where people could pat them/upset them. So if we have to duck inside to buy a few items/pick up some food, we leave them in the car for a little bit with the windows down. Never for very long though. They never seem to mind. Edited January 23, 2011 by koalathebear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I would just call Police or Security and the RSPCA straight away. Take rego no. down and report it to RSPCA but the urgent thing is to get the dog out of the car hence the police. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfsie Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I would call the police too. if it is hot you don't have time........ That said there is also horse-floats with their tail-gates shut, top and bottom....Parked whilst the owners are at macca's having lunch in the AC. I opened up their front little door and went into Macca's to get the owners. They were amazed how hot it was in the float We never close the top at the back when it is hot and we have the round ventilators on the top. I would never leave my horses in a stationary float with only the smallest side windows open. We only park if we have shade and leave the fron access door open too, with the top of the tailgate.........I know horses can sweat, but it is still bl....y hot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Maclary Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 We saw a puppy (approx 10wks) left in a car in a Bunnings car park. Pup was there at least 30 minutes - police and RSPCA were not interested - RSPCA said it "wasn't that hot today" (I beg to differ) but they would send the owner a letter. When she got back to the car the owner was shocked to find a group of people gathered there baying for her blood - I hope with that, the letter and her kids asking her questions about it she won't do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montage Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 I think a lot of people think that if the window is down (even an inch!) the car won't overheat. Next time I'll take the number plate, inform the RSPCA and call for a PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koalathebear Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 So if you're out on a hot day and you need to duck into the shops for 10 minutes - do you drive home first and drop the dogs home before going into the shop? Not trying to cause an argument - just curious about what other people do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montage Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 So if you're out on a hot day and you need to duck into the shops for 10 minutes - do you drive home first and drop the dogs home before going into the shop? Not trying to cause an argument - just curious about what other people do. I think that's a fair question. Personally I wouldn't leave my dogs in the car for more than 5 minutes on a hot day. Not only am I paranoid about the heat but also worried about my dogs being stolen because a friend of mine lost a staffy this way and even after 10 years it still haunts her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss B Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 So if you're out on a hot day and you need to duck into the shops for 10 minutes - do you drive home first and drop the dogs home before going into the shop? Not trying to cause an argument - just curious about what other people do. There is absolutely no way I would leave my dogs in the car on a hot day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 So if you're out on a hot day and you need to duck into the shops for 10 minutes - do you drive home first and drop the dogs home before going into the shop? Not trying to cause an argument - just curious about what other people do. Yes. 10 minutes is long enough to cause a dog severe heat stress on a hot day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 So if you're out on a hot day and you need to duck into the shops for 10 minutes - do you drive home first and drop the dogs home before going into the shop? Not trying to cause an argument - just curious about what other people do. Yes. 10 minutes is long enough to cause a dog severe heat stress on a hot day. + 1 Try turning the AC off , leaving the windows down a fraction and sitting in the car for ten minutes. I can guarantee you won't leave the dogs alone in the car for that long ever again. You never know what can happen in that ten minutes and if there is an issue that prevents you getting back to the car, what's going to happen to the dogs ? Anyone that leaves their dogs or kids in their car and walks away, deserves to have their windows broken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngeK Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Yes, I do, only leave them in a car in front of the supermarket when I walk in to get cigarettes and walk out again. But then all 4 windows are wide open at the stage where they just cant get out of the car. Not to flame you but just try it yourself, park the car, open the window a little bit and stay in there for 10 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion 01 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 A good test is to sit in a car for 5 - 15 minutes on a hot day with the windows down only a fraction and see just how hot it gets and see if you could put a dog in the same situation, I doubt it. How many times have we just ducked into a shop to get a couple of things, and met someone who we hadn't seen for a while, or just been held up at the service desk. Nothing goes to plan so why chance it, it's just not worth risking a life for. Marion01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danois Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I would never leave my dog unattended in the car on a hot day for 10 mins. I plan my errands and dog activities seperately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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