Had an incident with a woman this morning who’d left her dog in a hot car.

[SquashMeDown]

Went to town this morning, when I arrived and parked there was a car nearby with a dog barking and sounding upset.

I went to get a parking ticket and saw that a man was already watching the dog.

The windows were open a tiny bit but there were wind deflectors in the windows so only about a mm of ventilation. It’s a sunny day, and the temperature just over 20°.

The man then left but took a photo of the car.

I hung around for a few minutes wondering what to do. I was just going to get a drink, so took a photo of the outside of the car with its number plate, with the intention of coming straight back and deciding what to do. In all this took about 10 minutes.

As I was leaving a woman came up to me and aggressively told me to delete the photo, that she didn’t give me permission to take the photo. I pointed out I was worried about her dog so had hung around and didn’t want it to be hurt or die. She was so rude and aggressive, claimed she’d only been a couple of minutes (she wasn’t, she was at least 10 minutes). I stood my ground and explained I was just looking out for her dog, but she was so awful - she could have been lovely about it and appreciated that someone was looking out for her poor dog, but no, she was defensive and turned it all round on me.

AIBU for thinking that leaving a dog in a hot car for over 10 minutes is fucking cruel, and she did nothing to help herself by being so angry and rude?
Or should I just have minded my own business?

Livestock transportation trucks have minimum ventilation standards and no glass. There are animal welfare in transport regulations that outline this.

I understand that you’re trying to sneer and be unpleasant, but you just look thick.

Just wow

You absolutely did the right thing. The only thing I would have done was call the police immediately (this is what the RSPCA advise.) A dog should not be in a car at 20 degrees and left for any length of time especially with the windows up. The woman was in the wrong and didn't like being called out. Don't doubt yourself OP. Hopefully she'll think twice in future.
Edited due to typo

You were right, she was.wrong and she knew it.
I was in a similar position recently but knew the police wouldn't get there for at least half an hour.
I'm not going down the route of posting pictures on FB as some have suggested but for context this was 2 dogue de Bordeaux and it was 34 Degrees in my car.
Car was parked in full sun and the dogs were very cross so barked non stop at passers by making the situation even worse.
If I'd broken a window or attempted to open the car door I'd have been bitten.
It's difficult to know what to do but I should have contacted the police regardless.

I’m surprised at anyone thinking leaving a dog in a car when it’s 20 degrees is ok, it’s not going to be 20 degrees in the car, the temperature rises quickly and dogs struggle quickly too.
If you don’t think that’s true, sit in your car on a hot day. No air con on, windows open an inch and see how quickly you feel uncomfortable - better still pop a fur coat on as well.

People shouldn’t need to be told of the dangers, but some owners think it doesn’t apply to them, and they’re probably the same ones who walk their dogs on a very hot day, or drag it around shopping centres.

I was surprised yesterday, when it was 21 degrees, that people turned up at Parkrun with their dogs to run.

FFS when will people get the message about not leaving dogs in cars in this weather? I think they must be totally brain dead. You did the right thing OP.

We use a tool to break car windows at work, it's just a little clicker thing. More people should have them to use on any car that has a dog trapped inside.

What? I completely agree the dog shouldn’t have been in the car but the op posting here and getting lots of praise when she didn’t actually do anything is somewhat confusing to me.

10 mins in a car in 20c outside, in full sun = around 27 inside the car, and as the car was already there, dog already barking and worked up, then the car had been there longer than 10 minutes.

27 is just about bearable for a dog calmly lying in the shade in front of fans, its not for a dog agitated and bouncing around barking, raising their internal temps further!

Report her. No one but an absolute tool of the first degree would leave an animal in a car in this heat.

In my car in the town centre it was reading 24°, but once out of the crowded building area it dropped to 20°, so I’m not 100% sure.

I got in my car (parked in the same area) after about 15 minutes and it was airless and like sitting in an oven.