Dogs in cars

[Grumpybearblue]

This was were they being unreasonable.

Just getting ds and shopping into car in tesco. Man parked next to me was lingering. He was early 60s.
Two woman of around the same age get out their car and start walking in my direction towards the shop.

Man walks over and starts shouting about them leaving the dog in the car. The woman says the cars in the shade so it's fine. He continues to have a go at her. She then starts dancing and singing nosey parker.

Now, he wasn't that close to them so although he was shouting it wasn't in their faces.

I'm a bit on the fence. He's right the dog shouldn't be left in the car. I've never once left my dog in the car regardless of the weather. It would be distressing for him and he's an intact pedigree so I'd worry he'd be nicked.
But it made me feel uncomfortable that a man was shouting at a woman and he didn't actually know how long she was going to be, it wasn't really any of his business.

So what do you think. Should he have stepped in to stick up for the dog. Or assumed the woman was not leaving the dog for long and kept out of it.

Just to add, it is a big tesco and she did go on to get a trolly. She also parked in parent and child so the car was in the 'shade'. It was also hot but cloudy today where I was.

The man then took pictures of the dog in the car. So guess he's going to report or publicly shame her.

Depends where you live. I can leave all windows open 2-3 inches. No worry about dog being stolen here.

I'm not upset, I said it made me feel uncomfortable

The fact that a dog was locked in a car should have made you uncomfortable, not a person shouting at another person.

Even with the window open, dogs can still die in cars.

They were unreasonable.

Depends where you live. I can leave all windows open 2-3 inches. No worry about dog being stolen here.

Why? Dogs get stolen all the time. Do you live in some magic crime free place? They just smash the window and take the dog.

I hate this blanket hysteria about dogs in hot cars. Yeah don’t leave them sealed in and then go do a trolley shop but also have some common sense. I would be raging if someone broke a window to let my dogs out of the car where they have fans/cool mats/water/windows cracked while I run into the store to grab two things. It’s ridiclous.

They were all arseholes. Dogs shouldn't be left in cars, even in the shade, and people shouldn't shout at each other. He should have called the police - if a dog is displaying signs of heatstroke you can call 999 and the police will break it out. If it isn't showing signs of distress you can call 101 and the police will send animal control.

Nonsensical that people think cracking a window is sufficient. Even with the windows open 2 inches on a day when it's 22c outside the car it can get to 48c inside - more than enough to kill your dog.

It's one thing if you've got the aircon on and water for your pup but unless you've put a sign in your window saying so, you can hardly blame a passer by for thinking your dog could be about to die and intervening.

WTF so would you rather everyone ignores dogs in hot cars because someone -may- have cooling mat?
Often a dog in distress can look like a dog lying down having a doze except breathing a bit faster. This is actually quite hard to tell from the outside of a car.
Even with water available, that doesn't magically make it cooler so only solves part of the problem. Any one of your 'cooling' systems could fail and you could come back to a dead dog and that is a truly awful experience.

Why not just leave him at home?

Sharron

If I couldn’t leave the dog in the car sometimes, I wouldn’t be able to take her on many adventures at all, her life would be very boring.

Facebook posts have a lot to answer for. All I see is posts stating 'The police say you can smash a car window if you see a dog in a hot car'. My car has air con that I can see my how cool my car is from my phone app. I walk my dog and maybe pop into Tesco's on the way home. My husky is fast asleep and not panting despite running for about 7miles. I get back to a man trying to punch my window in with his bare fist. Ridiculous. I even had a note on my window stating the car was air conditioned to stop idiots like this. While I'm not condoning locking your dog in an old Ford Fiesta for hours why do people suddenly think every pet owner are all stupid?

My dog goes to the farm with me every morning and spends up to an hour in the car before I take him for a walk.

You should see his face when I leave him behind.

sharron - same here - my dog would have a boring life if we didn't leave him in the car once in a while between various walks and activities! Maybe we should campaign to have dogs allowed in shops and restaurants! Would be easier!

Now that I totally agree with. But for obvious reasons it could never happen.

When I took my dogs out I would drive places for walks or to the beach but the dogs would never be left in the car for longer than it took to pay for petrol. I would go home before nipping to a shop or similar.
I can't agree with leaving dogs in cars, no matter how many measures you take. It's like people who leave their dogs in the conservatory or front porch.

Well in France they are allowed in many shops and restaurants :)
My dog stays in the conservatory all day long at the moment he loves it lol he follows the strongest rays of sunshine! come on its England here, not India!

He’s right. And the fact there were two of them, there is no excuse.

I’m currently on holiday, just me and the dog. I’ve had to go to the supermarket for supplies. I tied the dog up outside and speed shopped. Was less than ten mins, probably nearer 5 mins but no way would I leave the dog in the car in these sort of temps. Shade or not, it’s still hot.

My crazy mother leaves her dog in the car. I remember dd telling me once after she and my mother returned to the car my mum warned her “if the dog is dead when we get back don’t start screaming as we’ll have to drive off quick”. Wtf, dd was about 7yo at the time but still remembers. I’ve repeatedly told my mum, not that we’re in contact anymore.

sharron - same here - my dog would have a boring life if we didn't leave him in the car once in a while

No, you would have a boring life. You are anthropomorphisising!

come on its England here, not India!

So it's OK to leave your dog locked up in a car in England?

why do people suddenly think every pet owner are all stupid?

Yeah, with sophisticates like you, people might be right to think every pet owner are all stupid, duh.

Counterpoints - I have a life which unfortunately doesn't revolve entirely around my dog so we take him with us in the car for the day, go on long walks, outing where he can join, but at times he'll wait in the car. He is happy to do so as he's relaxed in there and usually tired after a long walk.
And yes in England and in cool weather it is perfectly fine thank you.
Some people choose to crate their dogs after all, or restrict their dog to one room in the house when they are away, my car is a LOT more comfy than any crate.
In any event I'm not going to change what I do just because someone disagrees with me. Do what works for you and I'll do what works for us! :)

Do what works for you and I'll do what works for us!

You don't have an autocratic right to endanger a dog's life in this society.

oblada you so realise that dogs dying in hot cars literally happens in England as well as hotter countries, don't you?
Like this literally happens in this country.

It's like saying "oh I don't need to lock my front door when I go out. No one's ever broken into my house before and I live on a quiet street"

www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/dogsinhotcars

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/nature/957295/Dogs-pets-hot-cars-RSPCA-cats-sunshine-temperature-heatwave/amp

www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/dogs-die-in-hot-cars

It's not like I didn't put words like 'cool'/'winter'/'common sense' in my posts.... I agree to have common sense and not leave a dog in a car in hot weather without appropriate precaution. I would not agree to a ban on dogs in cars regardless of weather condition. That's all. Common sense.