AIBU to think leaving a dog out in this heat is neglect?

[helpfulucy]

Just saw this tweet of a woman who let her dog out alone into this heat and the poor thing died.

https://x.com/ThePosieParker/status/2069805937058009534

She claims he 'escaped' and then clarifies that they have a dog door and didn't shut it in the heat. Not really a Houdini act if you leave the bloody door open!

AIBU to think these people should be investigated for neglect/animal abuse? We all knew it would be hot this week and any responsible pet owner should make sure their animals are safe.

Yes it's neglect 😡 also people that leave them in hot cars! They don't deserve dogs

I wonder why the dog didn’t come back in through the door?

She seems strangely casual about it.

Vile. I have a pug, we are so so careful with him in this weather, just as all dog owners should be. He’s been parked up in front of the air con unit all week, and last night we were in the garden with him at 2am so he could have a run around in the rain.

That poor animal must have suffered, it’s so sad. People are idiots.

The casual "so long Gilbert" makes me sick. Why go out and leave the door open?

Some people (many people) really should never ever be allowed to have a dog. We are walking our dog at 6 am at the moment with no evening walk as it just doesn't cool down enough. We have 3 fans in the living room for him.

Anyone who buys a pug from a breeder is cruel and stupid anyway, so it, sadly, doesn't surprise me that she's so flippant about it.

Poor pup.

It's far hotter inside our house that outside. Our cats have spent the last week outside in the shade.

Hate seeing pictures of flat faced dogs.

Wish more countries would follow Netherlands lead and ban them. Stop people buying deformed dogs because they think they are “cute”.

We have an elderly pug, he is a rescue, I don't know if that still makes me stupid. Anyway he is about as stupid as I supposedly am and would merrily bake himself to death given the chance. He doesn't have the cop on to know that he can't handle the heat so wouldn't make his way back inside if he felt too hot. He genuinely wouldn't have the brains to understand. He's a lovely old fella and I feel guilty shit talking him but he has no idea what's going on in life. All that it is to say she should have known to be more careful and her post seems very flippant for someone who has just lost a beloved family member.

I have several rescue pugs. I would like to see the kennel club forced to change the breed standard and introduce cross breeding like they are in Scandinavia and Germany to help return them to them to their physiology prior to 1900. I advise anyone who stops me not to buy a puppy but to rescue one of the many who get discarded. It’s a lovely ancient breed and it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to undo the damage we’ve done to it. And I am not leaving the house while it’s this hot as they need constant monitoring and interventions- they overheat about 3 times as fast as dogs with more regular noses. Sadly a lot of people get dogs based on looks and don’t educate themselves properly.

I drove in circles for 2 hours in the main of the heat yesterday so that my dog could relax at a good temperature using the car’s air conditioning. I know that’s not great for the environment, but it really helped him to feel much better. Later, I laid on the bathroom floor with him so he could have some cooling and still feel happy and safe. Unfortunately the thunder then scared the shit out of him.

i wonder of the tweeter has an ulterior motive for posting this so glibly

My dogs are currently laid in the kitchen as Orbis the coolest floor in the house ( they ignore the cool mat) we have every fan going and they are still warm, went outside to hang the washing both followed me out, one found shade then came back in the other one still wanted to run so got taken back in to chill out

How many generations of deformed pugs would need to suffer ongoing as their genetics are experimented with to try to take the breed back to its roots and remove the deformed compressed skeletons, shortened skulls and twisted spines?

While it is laudable to want the "ancient breed" to survive, I think you are romanticising the ongoing cruelty it would take to get there. Thankfully kennel club breeding of pugs has dwindled to <1,000 a year (from its peak of >10,000 a year). There is also the ongoing breeding outside of the kennel club to consider. If the aim is to prevent ongoing animal suffering, then a ban on breeding is the only measure that would stop it immediately.

I don't see the big deal. It would go back inside if it was too hot, or find some shade.

A few weeks back, people were very prompt to feel sorry for a parent who forgot to drop their child at nursery and left them in the car in the heat. The kid died of course. "Can happen to anyone" they said.

But apparently, forgeting to lock the dog door, or just believing that the dog would come back in if uncomfortable is akin to murder.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like KJK, the dog is unhealthy and clearly overweight, so less likely to cope with the heat, but it's a sad freak accident.

And as always, on these topics, we have the world champions of dog ownership who feel obliged to let us know that they took their dog out at 3:30am and that they have 6 fans + paid staff to cool the dog down. Extra bonus points if they managed to mention that its a rescue dog, in case we weren't in awe enough at how amazing people they are.

Meanwhile, in the real world, people are trying to do their best and sometimes they make mistakes in earnest. The constant judging gets really tedious.

It sounds to me - and others that replied to the actual tweet - the dog had done what is common with cats and dogs when they’re dying: they go to an isolated, quiet place. Kellie-Jay has commented, “[o]ur poor happy little dog went to a part of the garden I’ve never seen him in.”
The dog could have returned back to where it had come from at any point apparently and had a cold fan, cold water, had been hosed down earlier.

I think this was just a case of the dog’s time to go, The fact it happened in June during a heatwave is just one of those things. Now if this had happened in the middle of February or October for example…

It’s worse than neglect tbh. Stupid, callous, abusive. My dog and 2 cats have been asleep in the coolest spot in the house all week - it’s idiotic to let them outside in this heat (except for essential pee/poo for the dog). I’ve seen people walking their dogs in the middle of the day - just unbelievable.

I didn't see that thread but my GOD! No it's doesn't just happen to everybody, I have never just forgotten one of my children in a car and walked away. That parent needs to be charged!

My neighbours do it. The dog has a heavy coat and small kennel as it’s a big breed. I wouldn’t do it. My springer spaniel is struggling from the heat indoors.

Just because it hasn’t happened to you.
Clearly it was an accident. I think the parents are already suffering.

And in this country killing someone by accident is charged as manslaughter.

Is it. I thought I read a story about a teenager who stabbed an 8 year old and was found not guilty from the UK. Although I’d consider pretending to stab someone and accidentally hitting them 8cm into the heart less of an oversight.
Not every death caused accidentally is manslaughter, otherwise there would be a lot of doctors and midwives in prison, especially from Leeds maternity hospital.

A former neighbour used to have a pug. She went out one day leaving it on a balcony in full sun without any shade or any way of getting indoors and came back to find the poor thing dead, presumably of heat exhaustion. Stupid, neglectful woman, it was an appalling thing to do to an animal.

My springer is too hot indoors, but has found himself a shady spot in the long grass under the trees behind our pond and is spending most of his time there. The patio door is open so he can come in and out as he pleases, and he's safe because the garden is fully enclosed and mostly lawn so his pads won't get burned.

Well you obviously know zero about dogs. I have friends whose dogs, if allowed, would lay in the hot sun until they had a fit!

No excuses for the stupid owner who allowed her dog to die

It IS NOT a sad freak accident. The incredibly stupid owner is totally to blame for the dog's death.

Responsible caring dog owners do take their dogs out early and/or late (not 3.30am as you so snidely state - so clever - not). Me and DH took our dog out at 6am and, yes, he is a rescue dog (not that it makes any difference).

We then left our dog at home in the coolest room in the house with 3 fans going. We went to a garden centre but found it so so hot we left after 10 minutes. There were quite a few idiots there with dogs. This was at 12pm. Please tell me why dogs would want to go to a garden centre. Yes some were sitting in the restaurant which had a GLASS roof. There were seats outside in shade but oh no they didn't sit there.

Killing a dog or a child is NOT a mistake

Poor dog. That is so bloody cruel and yes the owner should be investigated for abuse/ neglect. 😡
Pugs struggle to breathe as it is without a bloody heatwave to contend with.
I walked up the path to my car barefoot and burnt my feet. It must be absolute torture for dogs.