The Tragedy of Leaving Pets in Cars

I admit it. Once or twice, when I was younger, because it was convenient, I left my dogs in the car on hot days. Oh, but the excuse machine works in my head: it wasn't that hot. I left the windows partially open. I was only going to be away from the car for a few minutes. And my favorite excuse: one of my dogs has separation anxiety, and leaving her home means occasionally returning to a disgusting mess or destroyed furniture. I'm done with excuses, now. I was lucky, and so were my dogs -- they are still with me, happy and healthy. Not all pets make it out of hot cars alive.

I tell you this about myself, because as a rule, pets don't die in hot cars because their owners are cruel, unloving people who don't really care about the animal, anyway. I doubt anyone whose pet died this way actually wanted to see it happen. It's easy for those on the right side of the fence to judge, after the fact, a dog owner who left a dog in a hot car to die. "If they just hadn't been so stupid," we say. "If they actually cared, they never would have left the dog."

But how many people who don't care about their dogs ever bring them along for car rides? Uncaring owners rarely bother. It's those of us who love our dogs that are far more susceptible to this tragic mistake. We love our dogs, so we want them to be with us. Our dogs love car rides, and we want them to be happy. It only seems logical that the more we care for our dogs, the more we bring them along on car rides. Most of the time, everyone is happier when the dog can come along, especially the dog. Except for that one "wrong" day, that one mistake. It happens all too easily, but not because owners don't care.

The results are terrible. Some pets simply die of dehydration, which sets in rapidly once they begin to pant. Others die of hyperthermia (overheating). The body literally cooks; tissues burn, organs fail. It's often messy.

Think of how uncomfortable it is to get into your car after it's been sitting a while on a hot day. The heat is almost unbearable, and some surfaces are so hot they can burn. Now imagine not being able to leave the car, open the windows or start the air conditioner. Within only a couple of minutes it becomes almost unbearably hot, and our bodies demand we leave the car or turn on the air. Pets, of course, don't have those options.

It can happen at temperatures as low as the 60's. The glass and enclosed space of the car acts as a greenhouse, and heat rapidly builds up to dangerous temperatures. One series of studies performed in 2002 had some scary results. First, let me say that temperatures in the 80's are uncomfortable for most dogs, and temperatures in the mid-90's can be deadly if water isn't available. Any higher than that, and hyperthermia can set in. With the outside temperature at 72, it took only 15 minutes for the air in the car to reach 100 degrees. Within a half an hour, the temperature hit 110 degrees, and rose slowly from there, reaching nearly 120 at the hour mark. "'Cracking' the windows," researchers added, "had little effect." On hotter days, deadly temperatures can be reached can be reached within 10 minutes. Pets can die in a hot car in as little as 15 minutes from the time you turn off the air conditioner and walk away.

But if you still believe only uncaring owners leave their pets in the car, please consider this. In the period between 1999-2009, 443 children in the U.S. died of hyperthermia in cars. Some of those children died because their parents weren't even aware they were in the car, but others died because their parents intentionally left them. I cannot believe these parents "wanted" their kids to die or even simply didn't care. I'm sure all of them were absolutely positive their kids would be fine. I'm sure the excuse machines were working away in their heads, assuring them their kids were safe. They weren't. Our pets aren't, either.

So why do pets die in hot cars? I don't believe it's because their owners are stupid, or uncaring, or even irresponsible, and certainly not because they're abusive. I think it's because they're simply unaware of the true dangers, and maybe a little too optimistic. "It'll never happen to me," it's easy to say. "It'll never happen to my dog." Of course, it can, and all too easily.

It was an article about kids, rather than pets, that truly forced my commitment to leave my dogs safe at home on hot days. Fatal Distraction, by Gene Weingarten, from the Washington Post For me, and I imagine for most, it is a truly painful read. But I recommend it if you've ever left a kid, or a pet, in a car alone.

Sources:
http://ggweather.com/heat/