Colleague reported me to RSPCA

[wobblymum1]

Not sure what to do with this one…..
I work for a big company and have been taking my dog to work with me
this week as my usual dog
walker is away. We’re in north Scotland so It’s not hot, I leave all the car windows open 1/3 way and come out hourly to check on her, offer water and a wee and walk her in my lunch hour.
oddly (to me) yesterday a colleague from a different department I don’t know at all was standing by
my car when I came for one the checks-
she told me she was reporting me for leaving my dog in the car all day, that I was an idiot and that I should be ashamed. I was so shocked I didn’t say anything, and today Found a note on my windscreen at the end of the day from RSPCA to say they’d had a welfare call about a dog locked in the car, they’d come and found her calm with windows open and had a chat with her thru the open window (?!) and were satisfied she was well cared for and NFA.

do I just leave it at that? Or try and find the name of the women who reported me and complain on basis of her being so rude? It all just seems so odd.

Leave the note on the windscreen so the person who complained can see that the RSPCA think the dog is fine.
Don't try to track her down. Your dog is fine.

Home alone all day felt cruel. Being in car with me giving hourly walks and cuddles felt kinder for this week 🤷‍♀️Happy for you to verify with MN I’m a regular poster. Would be a really boring troll thread 🤦‍♀️

That it's the sspa in Scotland

A car can still be warm inside on a coolish day. I understand that you are trying to do the right thing, but totally understand why you were reported.

A car can heat up like an oven in such a short time- Your colleague definitely did the right thing.

How did they manage to get them to come out in a few hours? Normally takes them a month to do a welfare check if they can be arsed.

I'd have grassed you up without even giving you the courtesy of an opportunity to correct your behaviour first.

Could you not have taken annual leave?

Yes I might do that just to shut down any further odd comments from her as it’s really unprofessional in my sector to call a colleague an idiot (even if they are, find a more professional term)

Why won’t you leave her at home! Locked in such a small space with a cuddle every hour it’s just wrong

As much as I understand you’re trying to provide care for your dog I would absolutely never leave my dog in the car all day, I think in your situation I would have spoken to the owner if I saw them & gaged the situation but I wouldn’t do what you did, sorry just my opinion

not at short notice, my dog walker only told me on Monday morning she’d be off work this week as had hurt her foot, if I’d had advance warning yes of course.

Would you like to sit in a car in a car park all day?

Oh god no. You Don't leave a dog at home on its own all day.

Thankfully not all kennels are like that a majority are very well run with people who really care for the animals that are there (I have also worked with many kennels over the years/animal shelters).
As my I said in my previous comment kennels round here let the dogs out a majority of the day. A few even have cameras set up so you can log in and see what your dog is doing!

I kinda torn on this one. My dogs prefer to come with me and be left in the car if we go do a shop or whatever than being being left at home. All day for work though I don't know. I suppose it depends on the dog. Some are chill about that kind of thing. People don't think twice about crating or leaving them restricted to the kitchen or whatever so as long as you are checking it isn't too hot it's pretty much the same thing.

OP, you need to take a step back here.
You were wrong to leave your dog in your car.
She shouldnt have called you an idiot but if you raise this you are going to come off far worse than she does.

Did you ask?

But she’s happy In the car! We go camping most weekends so she’s used to it with long drives and leaving her home alone for 8 hours felt far more cruel!

We live in Scotland and at the moment our car is so hot and stuffy that we always go and the engine on and put on the air con for a few minutes before we go anywhere.
YABU.

Ask what?

For the leave

Normal in Scotland that it’s pretty fast.

Someone (my arsehole neighbours) reported me to the spca the day we got a new puppy because there was a “distressed animal” in my house. Despite knowing we had just got a 10 week old puppy a few hours earlier. She was crying because we were crate training her (and no, she did not continue to use her crate once she was toilet trained, before anyone accuses me of caging my dog)

When the SPCA arrived we were out in the garden playing with puppy and they reported it as a malicious report.

I’m guessing not the very top part then! It’s coat weather here still.

I’m glad you have had good experiences with kennels but in my experience they are horrendous, I’d never leave my dog in any locally & I’ve been to a few places