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Original poster

Is it ok to leave a dog in a locked car with windows closed in cool, Autumn weather?

28 replies

NotAnotherBrick · 13/09/2010 16:11

I honestly don't know, not being a dog owner, but on a cloudy, Autumn day, saw a dog in the boot of a car in a car park and was a bit shocked. And then I found out it was someone going to the same group as me so the dog was in there for, I know, about 2 hours, being checked on every now and then.

Is this ok?

What would you have done if it isn't ok?

OP posts:
MrsC2010 · 13/09/2010 16:12

I wouldn't leave mine, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything as I am quite protective of them!

SloanyPony · 13/09/2010 16:14

Its to do with the heat of the car. If the ambient temperature is not particularly high in the parked car due to lack of sunlight/greenhouse effect that you get on a sunny day, then technically they'd be okay for a while.

Particularly if they were being checked.

I dont have dogs but I expect there are times where its better/safer if they are out the way for a while. I'd rather leave them at home personally in those circumstances.

But if the ambient temperature of the car is like 18 degrees or something, well they certainly are not going to run out of oxygen or anything and shouldn't overheat I wouldn't have thought. Correct me if I am wrong, someone.

MrsC2010 · 13/09/2010 16:16

Yes, I'd certainly leave them at home instead of in a car.

bigfootbeliever · 13/09/2010 16:16

My car seems to get really hot even in winter if the sun is shining, so if I have to leave him at all (which I try not to), I will always leave the window open a little.

ozmetric · 13/09/2010 16:17

No, I don't think it's OK.

It might be cold and cloudy when the owners first leave the car but the sun could come out.

RSPCA advice here is to never leave a dog alone in a car.

They say "In fact, when it?s 22°C/72°F outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 47°C/117°F within 60 minutes."

Original poster
NotAnotherBrick · 13/09/2010 16:20

So what would you do? Would you actually have said something to the woman? Knowing it would probably really piss her off and stop her wanting to have anything to do with me again?

What about if you hadn't known who the car/dog belonged to?

OP posts:
ShinyAndNew · 13/09/2010 16:23

I would have said something, yes. If I didn't know the owner of the car I would have rang the RSPCA.

if it was a hot sunny day and it was clear the dog was suffering I would have smashed the window of the car and delt with the consequences later.

Eleison · 13/09/2010 16:28

In cool cloudy autumn weather it is fine, if the dog is being checked on (though there is the danger of theft). I can completely understand the RSPCA giving overcautious advice, given the number of heartless numpties there are in the world, but honestly commonsense can be used to allow you to leave your dog in the car sometimes. And there are dogs that just love to come along for the drive and hang out in their mobile kennel while their owner does whatever.

September isn't reliably safe. The sun can easily be hot enough to make a problem. But on days like today's weather here (thick cloud etc.) no problem.

BeerTricksPotter · 13/09/2010 16:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ShinyAndNew · 13/09/2010 16:32

It's not just the risk of the weather though. Dog theft is becoming a more and more popular crime.

They are stolen and either forced to fight or made have litter after litter of puppies Sad Leaving your dog in your car is a bit like leaving your handbag on display now.

Mniemmniem · 13/09/2010 17:00

Agree with shiney!

mumeeee · 13/09/2010 17:11

I woild think this is fine as as long as the dog was bieng checked on.

SloanyPony · 13/09/2010 17:14

Despite guidelines, I think common sense prevails as with most things. It depends how long, how hot, what kind of car. Its just easier for the RSPCA to say "dont".

SkylineDrifter · 13/09/2010 17:19

My daughter is getting well known at local supermarkets as she just marches in to the customer service desk, hands them a note of the car registration number, and insists they put a call out for the offending dog owner.

Personally, I have never left any of my dogs in a car.

Merrylegs · 13/09/2010 17:19

Whereabouts are you? We have had a few cloudy days here in Norfolk but definitely not cool enough to leave the dog for 2 hours with no window open. It gets really stuffy in the car. Why didn't she leave the dog at home? 2 hours is way too long! Especially if she was checking it, which kind of suggests it was an action she wasn't entirely comfortable with.

I would have just said something non committal like 'What a lovely dog. Do you ever leave a window open, just for a bit of air?'

Might have made her think to do it?

fruitshootsandheaves · 13/09/2010 17:29

I left my dogs in the car today. In fact I do every week as after classes we go to lunch in a pub. I squashed my car under a bush so the dogs were in the shade. My dogs were fine but the car was full of bits of bush! Can't wait to get my new estate car and a tailgate guard.
you can all shout at me now.....

Vallhala · 13/09/2010 17:33

No, it's not acceptable, for the reasons which Ozmetric and others have stated.

The other risk is that of theft of the dog from the car, which is a very real threat. You wouldn't leave your purse in your car for someone to take so why your dog?

Why doesn't the owner leave pooch safely at home?

Eleison · 13/09/2010 17:35

I only ever leave my dog in the car when I know it is safe to do so. I've owned dogs for 17 years and never misjudged the situation so that my dog got distressed. My curren dog adores coming on car trips whenever possible. And yet I feel so defensive about mentioning on here that I leave him in the car because some people are so inflexible and dogmatic about the claim that dogs should never be left.

Eleison · 13/09/2010 17:36

Sorry, x-post. that wasn't aimed at you valhalla.

fruitshootsandheaves · 13/09/2010 17:38

Actually the whole pub carpark was full of cars with dogs in. If someone is out to steal your dog surely they are just as likely to take it from your house as from the car.

Merrylegs · 13/09/2010 17:39

My dog loves nothing better than coming along for the ride and has a very cosy bed in the boot of our estate. But it's the issue of not leaving a window open that would bother me. The fact that the dog is 'sealed in.' Not great.

booyhoo · 13/09/2010 17:41

em ,never mind the heat, what if someone stole the dog???

i couldn't leave mine in the car.

cars are easier to ge into than houses and the dogs are easier seen in cars. also, a passer by mightnt notice a dog in your house but would do if it was in the car.

exexpat · 13/09/2010 17:43

Sometimes it's unavoidable. Eg, at the weekend on a nice sunny day, we went for a lovely long woodland walk with the dog, then to a pub for lunch afterwards. Dogs are welcome in the pub garden, so we got a table outside and ordered food. Ten minutes later the sky clouded over and it started tipping down. No cover over the table, and dogs not allowed inside the pub. Dog gets extremely upset and yappy if he is tied up outside anywhere so I never do that any more. So he had to go in the car (with windows slightly open) parked on the road outside the pub while we went inside to eat our meal. By the time we finished it was sunny again, but it didn't feel hot in the car. What would you have done?

Eleison · 13/09/2010 17:44

My dog is a tad unfriendly to strangers who approach his car, so pretty much unlikely to be stolen.

anonymousbird · 13/09/2010 17:54

My dog loves to come with me, but only now am I really starting to take her anywhere in the car, UNLESS i know I can leave the boot open or am definitely under cover. In the summer she hardly ever came with me.

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