Craig Daily Press / Letter: Keep pets safe during summer heat

Archive for Friday, July 13, 2012

July 13, 2012

To the editor:

During a recent visit to one of my favorite destinations, Steamboat Springs, I found three dogs who had been left in parked vehicles over the course of just four days.

In light of this, please allow me to remind readers that animals should never be left in parked vehicles, which can become death traps in a matter of minutes during warm weather.

On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a car parked in the shade can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the temperature can reach 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Leaving the windows cracked (or even halfway down) and/or leaving water in the vehicle will not keep animals comfortable or safe.

With only hot air to breathe, dogs can succumb to heatstroke in as little as 15 minutes, resulting in brain damage or death. Symptoms include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite and coordination, dark tongue, and vomiting.

Please, when it’s even a little warm outside, leave animals at home.

If you see a dog left in a car, have the owner paged at nearby stores or call 911 immediately — the dog’s life depends on it.

Visit www.peta.org to learn more.

Daphna Nachminovitch

Vice President, Cruelty Investigations Department, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

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