Today is not cold but not boiling hot either here....

So is it okay for dogs to be left shut in cars on non warm days or is it just as dangerous as very hot days for them?

I just have a *major* thing about this! Every time I see a dog shut in a car I get really worked up about it! I often pass a store on my walk with the dog and the number of people who leave their dogs in the car window open a tiny bit or not at all is unbelievable... I just would not do it personally!

Anyway point being of the thread I just past a lad, who is just working on his car, underneath etc and he has a dog inside the car,no windows open at all, and Im thinking shall I go back down and tell him to open the windows now or get the dog out or am I just over reacting as it isnt exactly 80 degrees today????

I'm with you on this one!

Last week it was very warm ( 17c here) so i'm off to the station for a v.important job in London and what do I see?

A King Charles Spaniel stuck in a white van NO windows open nothing! I mumbled 'why do I have to see this' etc and missed train, had to find owner - eventaully did, looked like an idiot but felt better that I waited to sort it out.....

Aw good for you Beebo! I do hope your interview went well afterwards!!!

You do really have to wonder though are these people

- Really trying to cause suffering to their dog, being darn cruel
- Don't give a darn about their pet or whether it suffocates
- Generally just really stupid and uneduated, they would not sit in a car for X amount of time with no air but its a dog so, so what eh?

Really upsetting topic for me this.

I remember when i had my 2 month old baby i was sat in the back of the car and my friend popped in the petrol station and the store to get some lunch items, without thinking she locked us in, it was a hot day and I really panicked, it did feel suffocating...she was in there abot 12 mins and I nearly passed out in that time - horrible so maybe I'm re-living a bad experience but whatever it makes me mad

My friend went to Florida last year she saw a dog in a car and it was 102f...she smashed the window but...it was airconditoned, the dog wasn't even panting, oh boy was she in trouble

I won't be popular .......

I leave mine in the car for a hour or more twice a day, I leave the windows open enough for air and I always park in the shade or under cover carpark. I have very little choice as I cannot leave them home and I have to work. There are many places I would not leave them and I check on them regularly.

Some times if you are alone or traveling it's going to happen that you have no choice - loo's at motor way services etc.

I am not suggesting everyone should do it or every dog can be left and I certainly have seen dogs who are distressed and those cases are unforgivable as people have obviously not put any thought into where they have left the car.

I do not mind people telling me I am wrong but I do get annoyed when people make assumptions though without asking first or making sure they have their facts right !

Aside from any weather considerations, these days I would be far too concerned about the cases of dogs being stolen from cars to leave my dogs in the car at any time when not under my direct supervision, so OK to lock doors and pay for petrol at a garage but I wouldn't leave them anywhere I couldn't maintain line of sight, even if I could periodically check on them. Only takes a moment to break a window and steal the dog, and have been several cases of just that happening, either to sell or ransom the dog

I wouldn't want to risk leaving a dog alone in a car even on a cold day, (they could be stolen for one thing.) However, if someone was waiting in the car on a cool day while a friend paid for petrol or something like that, that shouldn't be a problem.

On a hot day is a different kettle of fish.....over the years I've lost count of how many dogs Iv'e seen locked in cars on baking hot days & even with a window open it is pure stupidity How would any of us like to be sat in a greenhouse on a red hot day wearing a fur coat?
I have reported a number of people for doing this and will continue to do so with no guilt whatsover. The worst case I saw was a dog that had actually collapsed from heat exhaustion and had to rushed off to be treated.

I think you have to be clear on the circumstances - I travel a lot to dog shows up and down the country - often being out for 16/17 hours.

I have no option but to leave them for toilet breaks and to pick up refreshments - always with all four windows open, but if you pulled up during the time I was away, you wouldn't know this.

On a cold (non sunny) day I may well leave them in the car at a show with regular visits and wanders - in reality they just sleep.

At shows, there are regular security and monitoring checks in the car park - and if any dogs are found to be in distress, squashed or appear to be overheating - then you can be banned from showing - so there are counter measures in place for security and well being.

Outside a show environment, my trips away from them never spill over into more than minutes for essential purposes and I am on my nerves for all of that time - but don't really have another option - the dogs for their part are not in the least bit phased by it - i.e. I worry considerably more than they do.

At this time of year, if I had to leave a dog in the car for more than a few minutes, it wouldn't be without full capacity to shut out all heat rays, and a secure barrier so the boot can be left open. Quite often, if there is two of us - we take it in turns to sit in the car with the Aircon on full power - effectively making the car a fridge .

I have on occasion had to leave Danny in the car and I hate doing it, although it has never been for more than a few minutes

Usually its if I have him out on my own and have to stop to use the toilet or get petrol..

If I am out with my husband, we take it in turns to go into shops or use the loo so one of us can stay with him

Its difficult on holiday, because we won't leave him alone in the caravan, and the people we go with like to eat out a lot...so we have to search for pubs that will allow him in, which seem to be getting fewer and fewer of late...he's very good though, and just sits under the table, usually asleep

I would certainly not leave the dogs in the car if there's slight chance of sun but when we've been on holiday in the autumn, we have left them in the car while we go for a quick pub lunch. But this is only if the dogs have a had a long walk first, they have had a good drink afterwards & I can park in a shady quiet area. The dogs quite happily sleep for a hour or so after their walk so provided I can see the car from the pub window, I'm happy to leave them there. As I go on holiday with a couple of friends & we have 8 or 9 dogs between us, there are not many pubs that will let us all come inside!!

When they banned dogs from shops and public places they actually set up a system whereby people have to leave dogs in cars sometimes, I never did understand why dogs were banned from so many places when I don't think I ever witnessed a problem they needed to cure ??

The Animal Welfare Act (2006) outlines that causing unnecessary suffering to an animal could result in prosecution. Leaving a dog in a car where it overheats, clearly qualifies as unnecessary suffering.

The main reason for the Animal Welfare Act being drawn up was that the relevant authorities and cruelty revention organisations were frustrated at having to wait for an animal to suffer before they could act. The AWA allows organisations to intervene if persistent behaviour would or could result in an animal suffering unnecessarily.

Additionally, when the the Animal Welfare Act was brought in, it was made clear that secondary legislation would follow.

I know, in the capacity of my job, that some of the secondary legislation will focus on inapproapriate housing of animals and will, at some stage, make it illegal to leave your animals in a vehicle.

Research shows that an open window doesn't help much as the structure is metal and that is what is generally heating up. The inside of a car can heat up to 350F on hot days and will effectively cook your dog! The lack of circulating cool air adds to the problem.

Also parking in the shade is futile, as the sun moves during the day.

Basically, it's wrong, and it shouldn't be done. If you are not going to take you dogs out at the other end, don't take them with you. If you can't leave your dogs at home, you should question whether you are providing the best circumstances for your pet to live in.

So if you are on an 8 hour journey with your dogs on your own and need the toilet, what are you supposed to do? wet yourself

I certainly never take my dogs anywhere where they aren't getting out the other side - as my main reason for travelling with them is for showing - but you have to have a common sense element here - services don't allow dogs onto their concourses / toilets - and not convinced I would want to pee while holding on to three or four dogs however much I love them

Even in cooler weather the inside of a car gets hot very very quickly. Dogs shouldnt be left in cars PERIOD, not unless they are being taken somewhere and then taken out of the vehicle, not taken to Tescos and left in the car cooking.

I can never understand why people have to take their dogs everywhere and just leave them in the car its not only bad for their health BUT thieves have stolen many a lovely dog out of a car even with the doors locked.

It should be a criminal offence in my mind.

At 17degrees I bet the car will get very very hot. I have a special thermometer think I will put it in my car and see what the temperature is after an hour its about 18 degrees today.

I would have said something. I have broken a car window before now to get a dog out that was dying in a hot car. I still get mad just thinking about it. Bloody selfish women was more worried about her car window then the dog taking its last breaths. The police soon sorted her out though, and I didnt get into trouble mind you it was a long time ago, things might be different now LOL. Handcuffed and arrested I expect. The world has gone mad.

Well leaving them for a quick dash to the loo is slightly different to leaving them to do a months shopping in tesco.

IF you are travelling on your own then you have to be sensible, BUT if you are travelling with someone else then you can take it in turns to take the dogs out for some fresh air.

When we took Lucy we stopped on a 2 hour journey 4 times to give her fresh air and a quick walk and for me to go to loo. She stayed out of the car whilst I went in and my hubby stayed with her. It wasnt hot either but the dog needed a break too.

I did have some input into the prosecution of this case
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/136887.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/258249.stm



though a long time ago, I still can't wipe my brain of what I saw...

Why cant you leave them at home?

Its not right leaving them for this long in a car. Leaving windows open and the car parked in the shade has little effect, its the metal that gets hot and increases the heat inside of the car.

Section 1 of the Animal Welfare Act includes the need :

For a suitable environment (place to live)

In a car surely is not a suitable environment for your dogs to be staying?

Sorry for being harsh but IF you cant house your dogs whilst you are at work then surely you shouldnt have them?

You say you dont mind people telling you are wrong, BUT you dont explain why you have to do this hence I ask that question at the beginning.

Like anything, laws about this kind of thing need to be sensible, it shouldn't be a case of all or nothing

When we pick places to holiday, or go out for the day, we usually chose places that Danny will enjoy..he loves the beach or wooded areas...we always pick places where there will be interesting walks for him and check out if there are places to eat where we can take him

But sometimes there is the odd occasion where we've been eating in the garden of a pub, and its started raining, so we've popped Danny in the car, while we quickly finish our meal..we would make sure we could see him, and one of us would go straight out if the sun comes out again..we'd probably be 10 minutes at most before one of us finished and went to sit out in the car with him

But if somebody came along, they might assume he had been in there for hours.

Maybe if it becomes illegal to leave dogs in the car, more pubs and restaurants could be encouraged to consider dog friendly rooms or areas, where people with dogs could eat in wet weather.

I would rather leave him in the car for 10 minutes than leave him tied up outside somewhere, where he would be distressed and in danger of being stolen or biting somebody

My dogs come with me to work because I walk them before I get to work and am able to let them have a run in the garden of the second place I work, I don't leave them home because my husband has enough on his plate looking after my nephews will I am working without having to worry about the dogs.

I work nights so shade/no shade is not applicable. But if it was I am big enough and ugly enough to use my own brain and pick places that are suitable. I don't need a nanny state to tell me how to keep my dogs safe and happy !

And I would suggest anyone questioning whether I should have dogs should consider what life they would have with out me - all my dogs have been rescues and most came from death row ! Death or a life where they are loved but left in the car sometimes ? I know which they would say they prefer !

I feel quite offended by your comments as I'm sure others do - I am not an imbecile and I do know how to treat my dogs, anyone who knows me will tell you they are healthy, happy, extremely well cared for and worship the ground I walk on.

IF I was going to do a months shopping at Tesco's - the dogs wouldn't be with me - they are in the car with me because I am taking THEM to an event, or to the beach or some other fun time out.

I run my own business and work from home, but still employ someone to come in and help out with walking, lunch etc and on the rare occasions I am not here, that same person comes in a number of times a day to walk, feed, exercise etc.

I don't see why I feel I am having to defend myself or verify that I am sensible - my comments were merely based around you cannot make a judgement on seeing a dog in a car at say a services, yes shop car-park if those are the only available toilets or other public place.

Even in a 5 minute toilet break - unless someone chose to peer in through the window - they wouldn't know the dogs are there.

I once heard of someone who used to take their dog to work with them and leave it in the car for nigh on 8 hours - now that IS cruel.

Oh dear, sorry you are offended, I was AGREEING WITH YOU.

I said its a lot different having a loo break then leaving dogs in a car when doing a months shopping at TESCO'S. As you were actually talking about going to the toilet and not shopping I just assumed you would have realised that.

YOU have to go to the toilet simple, BUT if you have someone riding with you then its easier as one can stay looking after the dogs.

OK.

Why didnt you merely say at the start that you were talking about NIGHT DUTY? But then why would you need park in the shade?

I would NOT be happy with leaving dogs like this but if it works for you then thats fine. Its just a shame you didnt take the time to explain at the beginning.

I don't believe every morsel of my life should be on a public forum like this - I answer questions when asked if I feel it's necessary I am not answerable to people who feel they can dictate how I treat my dogs unless my dogs are unhappy or unhealthy then I seek help from qualified people not from digital spy members. Well possibly apart from wilhemina how seems to know her stuff !

Fair enough. BUT to me by only stating half of the story it is an invitation for conflict.

Anyway like I said IF you are happy doing this it has nothing to do with me, BUT I wouldn't simple. That's it really.

Sorry - I think it was more feeling sensitive about even greater stupidity of laws coming into this country - when puppy farmers continue to churn out poorly bred sick puppies under false pretences, when once again, it is guaranteed to be the responsible people that suffer under the increasing 'nanny state' while the irresponsible continue to do what they've always done



This came across as a bit like - possibly something I hadn't considered - again, sorry if I misinterpreted what you were saying.

Believe me, since discovering the standard rescue organisations such as the AA won't oblige fully with assistance if there are dogs on board - I've become acutely aware of the increasing potential problems of travelling long distances on my own with the dogs - unfortunately, it is not always possible to have company.