Wednesday, June 1, 2016

What To Do If You See a Pet Left in a Hot Car

Summertime has arrived and with it, situations where people don't think, are careless or simply don't realize how serious leaving a dog in a car can be. Many folks do not understand how rapidly the temperature can rise. Since dogs and cats cannot sweat like humans, they are unable to cool themselves except by panting. Sadly, for many dogs this summer, a car they might be left in could be where they die.

Please leave your pets at home where they are safe and comfortable, and do not gamble with trying to rush into a store for "just a few minutes". Temperatures rise incredibly fast in a closed vehicle and it only takes a short time for a pet to be at risk of overheating or death.


 IF YOU SEE A PET IN DISTRESS:
  • 1. Write down important details such as exact location, vehicle description, license plate number, time of day, etc.
  • 2. Contact the police and animal control immediately.
  • 3. Take a photo of the vehicle and the pet
  • 4. In addition to reporting this to the police and animal welfare, pass the info along to neighbors, animal businesses, local shelters and this page as a warning AFTER a report has been filed. People need to know this happens and what they can do about it.



 *** NOTE #1 *** While lost and found pages (such as this one) or local rescues are concerned about these situations, THEY ARE NOT the ones to contact in an emergency. Who you need to reach is animal control and the local police department.

 *** NOTE #2 *** While more and more states are pushing for laws protecting citizens from legal or criminal action in the event someone breaks into a car, that's not clarified in many places and the consideration of "emergency situation" varies widely. Consider this a warning that in most cases you are on your own and may be attempting to explain why you've broken a window to an unsympathetic judge. With that said, if it's life or death of an animal we probably would all make the same choices.

 Protect yourself.
  • Make sure that you have reasonable cause for your actions: if you decide to go ahead with rescuing an animal confirm that it is indeed a TRUE emergency.
  • Take photos especially if you are seeing evidence of distress, temperature on a nearby bank sign, etc.
  • Document everything such as the length of time you observed the animal, who you called at what time, how long you waited for a response and so on.


Every summer animals needlessly suffer and some die simply because people don't think, don't realize the dangers or don't care. Education IS the best prevention - share and pass this along to your local groups, community networks, organizations and animal connections.

Lost Pet PR | Delmarva's Missing Pet Network
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