Image courtesy of Canstantinos.

Summer hasn’t come to bloom yet, but the sun’s been high in the heavens and the days are getting longer, with more frequent periods of heat. And well-meaning pet owners figure that if the window is open a crack, the dog’ll be just fine.

Not remotely so. Veterinarian Carl Palazzolo’s recent Long Beach Post article, “Heatstroke in Dogs—A Caution for the Upcoming Hot Months”, warns that refracted rays from the sun through a window will heat up the car and subject an animal to sunstroke. The physics of this, which I remotely understand (here’s what I found online), and the information from Dr. P.’s article inform us that a pet can poach to death if left inside a car for even a couple of minutes. It takes that short a time. And the hotter it gets, the quicker this can happen even if the outside air doesn’t feel like Death Valley.

“Even on a day when it’s [only] 70 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can hit 90 degrees in just 10 minutes,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF). “On a hot day, the temperature inside a closed car can shoot as high as 116 degrees in the same amount of time.”

Image courtesy of Petfinder.com 

Animal-welfare and legal websites dealing with car deaths in dogs have recorded at least one incident in which a pet died after having been left in a car for just a couple of minutes. The best thing for pet owners to do to prevent tragedy is to bring him or her with you wherever you go. If that’s not possible, leave the pet home while you’re running errands. And I know that hackles will bristle at this, but if a pet’s in distress and someone sees it and the police can’t get there fast enough, any concerned citizen is allowed to smash the window and retrieve the animal.

Strains of “Whaaaaat? Not my #$%^ car!” enter my mind’s ear. Response: yes, your car, and the Smasher Samaritan is protected by AB 797 ( Steinorth. Motor vehicles: rescue or provision of care for animal: civil and criminal liability). The bill, signed into law in 2016, is an amendment to the State Penal Code section 597.7, addressing trespassing. ALDF cites eight states, including California, that have passed laws that allow any person to break a car window to save a pet. Note that at least in six of the states, again including California, police must be contacted before the break-in in order for it to be considered legal.

“Calling 911 is the first step to saving that animal’s life,” Wells emphasized.

Wells also suggested letting the owner of a dog in a hot car know that “even if it’s a pleasant day outside, the temperature inside the car can skyrocket fast. Cracking a window doesn’t eliminate the risk of heatstroke or death.” Of course, a lot of us know how that can turn out. People I know, me included, have warned dog owners of potentially dangerous situations and are either blown off or told in varying degrees of civility to mind our own damn business, much as they do when they’re warned against dangerous situations involving or behavior by their small children. Happily, this doesn’t faze animal people by any means.

 Best Friends Animal Rescue put together this instructive video to educate the public about animals in hot cars.

Mind, the details of AB797 are very specific, so whack with discretion, and of course, make bloody well sure that the animal’s in distress in the first place (read Dr. Palazzolo’s article for the signs). Read the text of the bill this evening, when it’s cooler and there’s no sun. Then, you’ll know what to do in case of emergency. It’s also recommended that you or someone else takes a video of your rescue so that it’ll be time stamped in case there’s a problem.

Again, be absolutely certain that you dial 9-1-1 first, and record the call, if you can. If the officer isn’t informed about the law, have the link to it at the ready. Hopefully, you have a smartphone.

Download and print a few copies of the flier to keep in the car. Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) keeps copies in their lobby at 7700 East Spring Street at entrance to El Dorado Park, so you can save some ink, paper and time, and you can stop in to see the animals. Image courtesy of LA County D.A.’s office.

Further details about the bills can be read on the link earlier in the article. But in brief, anyone knowledgeable about the bill and who packs a hammer can save a pet’s life. I know people who regularly carry them, so if you value your vehicle, don’t lock your dog in it on a sun-filled day. And if you value your best friend, most certainly don’t do it.

Mankind’s true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.
~ Milan Kundera, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”

 

 

 

ALDF has created these sunshades to remind pet owners of the risks of leaving animals unattended in a car and urges people to call 911 if they find animals locked in a car and in distress. The lettering is in good contrast with the background and can be read from a distance. They’re meant as an advisory to pet owners and not as protection for your own pet. The sunshades are available here for $20 plus shipping and handling. All proceeds benefit the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Image courtesy of ALDF.