AIBU to consider reporting this woman?

[TiltTopTable]

On Sunday at about 3pm DH and I stopped at a large supermarket on our way home from a day out. Supermarket policy is to shop alone unless necessary so DH went in alone. It was so hot in the car, even with the sunroof open, so after 5 mins I got out, and noticed 2 dogs in the boot of the car next to us. Poor things were panting and the car was parked so they had no shade. One window was open about 8 inches.

I waited a couple more minutes for the owner, then took a photo of the car and went into the store to report. The security guard was great. He came out with me, said it was unacceptable, took a photo and went back into the store. I waited by the car. 5 minutes later (so 15 mins at this point, but I don't know how long the dogs had been left before we arrived) a woman arrived with her shopping, looking very annoyed.

We had a 'conversation'. She had been called over the tannoy. She said I was mad and ridiculous, that she'd only been a couple of minutes. I said that was false, as I'd been here 15 minutes. She was pointing at the open window saying 'look, look - AND they have a bowl of cold water!' I said sorry, but that's not enough. I explained I'd been sat in my car with the sunroof open and I couldn't bear it, and I'm not wearing a fur coat. She asked me twice if I wanted a smack, I said no not really (it was a bit surreal, she was tiny and elderly so her threats seemed ridiculous). I was very calm - she was irate. She got the bowl of water out shouting it was cold water, I said that was immaterial, it wasn't enough and the dogs were suffering. She then threw the bowl of water at me. Most of it missed me but I did get wet (she got wetter though 😄). I said calmly I could report you for that, and she shouted 'Go on then. The police will think you're ridiculous'. At this point DH turned up to a scene of a wet wife and an angry tiny woman. So we got in the car with her still shouting and drove off. I think she threw something at the car but not sure.

We laughed about it then but now I'm getting angry. Angry that those dogs were suffering and she wouldn't/couldn't understand and angry that she basically assaulted me. Would you take this further? Can I take it further with just a photo of her car? Should I just forget it? I'm sure the supermarket would have cctv of the incident but would I be pathetic to report?

@TulipsTwoLips

She threw a bit of water at you. You said most of it missed then you embellish to say your husband came back to a wet wife. If that's what we are calling assault these days we have become very precious.

The dog part is awful though. Yes, she needs to be reported so she thinks twice about doing it again.

Or you could ask when it became acceptable to verbally abuse and throw water at someone who has expressed genuine welfare concerns for animals.

Abusive and agressive behaviour has become normalized and it should be challenged.

@vivainsomnia Have you ever monitored the rise in temperature in a car when place in the sun at this time of year? It might surprise (shock?) you.

(It's better to have two windows open, opposite sides of car, to get a draw of cooler air through.)

That woman is a complete and utter frontbum. The RSPCA (for all the good they do) and the police need to know. She could technically get done for assault, but more likely to get done for threatening behaviour.

The police should really take animal cruelty more seriously, and harsh prison sentences should be imposed on offenders.

Report to the police.

They will give her a talking to, even if they can't do anything more. It might make the nasty cow think twice!

When something like this happened the picture/registration was put up on the local town FB group, it did not take long to uncover the culprit, friends, family, neighbours then knew.

@vivainsomnia

If the dogs were there for 15 minutes with cold water, they were not going to die or be ill. A bit uncomfortable, probably, but since when does uncomfortable mean reporting and rspca needing calling?

You did the right thing checking that she was coming back because sadly, there are very stupid owners who will leave their dogs for hours in the car leading to serious dehydration, distress and sometimes death, but there was no need to be so dramatic about the situation as it presented itself. You should have just moved on at this point.

You have no idea how quickly a car overheats in the sun - and if there are two panting dogs in it it will get hotter even quicker.

You also have no idea how long she would have left the dogs in the car if she hadn't been summoned by the security guard. I doubt they would have been dead when she came back, but they would have been very distressed.

The fact that they hadn't tried to drink the water suggests that they were so desperate for cooler air that they were hanging onto that gap in the window (metaphorically speaking0 because they couldn't breathe properly.

Go and sit in your car now. In the sun, with the window slightly open.

See how long you feel comfortable - and bear in mind that you can sweat to cool yourself - a dog can't. They can only lose heat by panting, and if they are panting in air which is as hot or hotter than they are panting out, they will suffer horribly.

@KarmaStar

Report to RSPCA and the police. A dogs temperature rises by 40% just getting into a car.those dogs could have died.💐💐💐💐🌈🌈🌈🌈THANK YOU FOR DOING SOMETHING🌈🌈🌈🌈💐💐💐💐🙏🙏🙏 so many idiots leave dogs in cars and think it's fine.it's not.

I second this post.

I would report to the RSPCA. I hate the idea of reporting anyone but dogs die in hot cars, every one should know this by now.

RSPCA are useless dyslek

They really, really are.

Who are the 12% who think this women acted in the best interests of the dog and so shouldn't be reported!

I've done the same but at our local supermarket and I would do it again. Definitely report.

Report!!!

@vivainsomnia

If the dogs were there for 15 minutes with cold water, they were not going to die or be ill. A bit uncomfortable, probably, but since when does uncomfortable mean reporting and rspca needing calling?

You did the right thing checking that she was coming back because sadly, there are very stupid owners who will leave their dogs for hours in the car leading to serious dehydration, distress and sometimes death, but there was no need to be so dramatic about the situation as it presented itself. You should have just moved on at this point.

In all fairness, the OP waited for fifteen minutes. It is quite likely that frontbum woman had been in the store for fifteen minutes (or longer...the OP wouldn't have known).

Informing the RSPCA and police was absolutely the right thing to do. No drama involved.

In throwing the water she deprived her dogs of it, and that is even crueller to the dogs. Definitely report her.