I Saw Two Dogs In Hot Cars This Weekend
What is wrong with people? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know when it's too hot to leave your dog in the car. Jay won't even take Neena to the convenience store with him on a hot day, yet some people thought it was okay to have a leisurely lunch while their dog was panting in the car.
Jay and I went out for lunch on Saturday. When we left the restaurant we drove past an SUV with a dog inside. Sure, they parked under a tree and they left the windows open ONE INCH. As you can imagine, I was furious. I got out of our car and pressed my face up against the window of the SUV to check on the dog. He seemed ok. So we sat there for awhile, thinking the owners MUST be coming out soon to check on him, right? Wrong. I continued to monitor the dog. As soon as he started panting, I went inside the restaurant and reported the dog in the car. They said they didn't have a policy for this, but encouraged me to call the police. But then, they decided they needed to make sure the dog was okay right away. One server went in one direction, and the manager in another. They found the owner of the vehicle, who headed to the SUV before we were out of the parking lot. I'm very thankful to the employees for taking action.
I also left a note on his windshield. My hope is that he will think twice before leaving his dog in the car. If you're traveling with a pet on a hot day, you DON'T stop for lunch at sit-down restaurant. You grab something to go. Every smart pet owner understands that.
Please don't be afraid to take action if you see a pet inside a car on a hot day.
Oh, and kudos to those who, after I spotted a dog in a car and got out to check on them, had the car running with the AC on, and Fido in the back seat happy as a cool dog should be.