Dogs left in cars!

ORIGINAL: jenhuedepohl

Leaving the car running is agaist the law in Maryland.  It is not safe.  If your vehicle is stolen you will be responsible for any damage done with your vehicle.  Not a very good idea.

Is it illegal even with remote start devices? I have one and I LOVE it. The car CANNOT be driven without the keys in the ignition - even if it is running. The engine will die if you apply the brake or put it in gear without a key in the ignition. And you can't forget and leave the car running all day. It times out and turns the engine off after 20 minutes. With kids it's a godsend. I could start the locked car remotely from the house or while paying for my items at the store and the car and car seats would be comfortable by the time we got into it. No more standing in a hot parking lot waiting for the car seats to cool down or worrying about how cold the baby is getting in that frozen car seat.

I had not thought about the remote start I certainly see them a lot.  I do not know if there is an exemption in the law for it.  Personnally I would view it as much safer. 

You are probably wondering why I am posting so often regarding the danger of heat stroke. I have lived in the south for about 30 years, both in Miami and Atlanta. Every year there are local TV and newspaper accounts regarding children and pets that are left in cars, " for just a short time", according to the police reports, that wind up dead from heat stroke. Just in Georgia, there have been 4 such child fatalities in the last week alone.

I feel you Bob. In this situation we were right there so they were very uncomfortable no doubt, but I felt I had to have back-against-the-wall reason for damaging somebody's car. We'd already called the police and they were on their way. The minute those dogs seemed to be in distress we would have stepped in.

Paula

ORIGINAL: Bobsk8

ORIGINAL: Xerxes

ORIGINAL: Jen D

What are some of the things you have done or someone you know when you see a dog left in a hot car? Do they have laws in the states you live in to protect them and does the authorities care in your area?

I leave my boy in the car all the time.  Though the car is on and the a/c is running full blast.  Heck it's usually about 30 degrees cooler inside than out.

What happens if the engine stalls, from a broken fan belt, or some other malfunction of the air conditioner? 

 
Engine stalling?  Hasn't happened since I got rid of my Volvo in '94.
 
Broken fan belt?  I work at a dealer and usually on saturdays can be found under the hood.  Since there's only one belt and it's in good condition I don't worry too much about that or other malfunctions.
 
I do, however, check back every 10-15 minutes if at all possible.
 
At dog shows, I have an apartment window type of a/c unit that I set up in the back hatch, it runs off either a generator or 110v.
 
Thanks for checking though, I really appreciate it.[]

My last 3 cars have had the remote starter, I wouldn't be without one now. On hot days I usually leave the dogs home, mine especially can't take the heat anyway, but if I did run in for milk or something, they wouldn't be in there for more than 5 minutes and most of the time, one of the kids are with them so if for some reason the car stalled they could take the dogs out..

i think the bottom line is... no... your car probably wont over heat, get stolen, run out of gas, or any number of car problems. but you CANT be 100% sure. and the one time it does happen and you come back to your car to find your dog or child dead or in the back seat of a cop car.... then you'll be singing a different tune. i think the point some people are trying to make is WHY would you even want to chance it?
true in the past my family has left dogs in cars, windows rolled all the way down, parked in the shade and never had a problem.. but in as many years as we've had dogs (i'm 24, and we've ALWAYS had dogs) i can count on one hand how many times they came with us in the car... my mom would only bring dogs along in her car if we were coming back from the vet and someone wanted to stop and get a milkshake from Burger King, other, or if we were taking the dogs to be taken care of by relatives while we were out of town.. my grandparents took dogs everywhere with them. it wasnt unusual to see about four or five dogs wagging their tales in the truck bed or in the back seat of a car.

i'm with the people that park in the shade, keep the dogs within sight, check back every few minutes and try to keep their errand as short as possible.
i like stores that allow you to bring your dogs in with you. there is no need to punish everyone for a few bad owners with unruly dogs.... i couldnt take Ben into a walmart, but Kaydee would be a perfect angel... but walmarts dont allow dogs. Lowes does, however.. i have seen dogs in there several times and have been with my cousin while she was shopping in Lowes with her dogs right beside her and had no issues at all with people or the dogs tearing up products. but for the most part, unless a restaurant has an outdoor patio area you cant bring your dog with you.. its a shame you cant bring your dog into stores with you.. dogs are pack animals, they love to go with us.... they should be allowed to... given that they are well behaved.

We also have a law against leaving pets in
your car .I haven't ever had to call AC but
I would if I see one in a car on a hot day

ORIGINAL: DumDog

i think the bottom line is... no... your car probably wont over heat, get stolen, run out of gas, or any number of car problems. but you CANT be 100% sure. and the one time it does happen and you come back to your car to find your dog or child dead or in the back seat of a cop car.... then you'll be singing a different tune. i think the point some people are trying to make is WHY would you even want to chance it?

Exactly, and that is why one somrthing does go wrong, it is called an "accident".  I fly aircraft,, and while it is extremely rare to have something break on the plane, it does happen, and you better plan for it and anticipate it. It is called, being safe. 

But for the most part, in this discussion the people who have talked about leaving their dogs in AC cars were talking about rare occaisions when they had to do a thing and would only leave the dog for a few minutes in the AC car.

Paula

First of all - For all of you who say you leave your beloved pets in the car with the motor running - have you ever given any thought to what happens if the motor cuts out for some reason????? It can and does happen. Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live in Florida where it is absolutely ungodly scortching HOT this time of year. The other day my daughter and I came out of the grocery store and immediately heard a dog barking. It was coming from the suv parked in the first space. None of the windows were cracked, which wouldn't have been enough anyway in this heat, and the dog was going nuts. The windows were tinted and it was difficult to see in the vehicle, but I could make out the face of a medium sized dog staring back at me through the back window. I immediately called 911. Those idiots just do not care, they take their time asking the most non-productive questions......meanwhile the dog is suffering and possibly dying! I told my daughter to go in the store and tell them to make an announcement. Then I tried to get help from a guy walking into the store - he looked at me like I was crazy. I had nothing to break the window with.......... I kept asking the 911 operator if an officer was on the way and she couldn't give me a straight answer. It was a f'n joke!!!! I told my daughter to take the groceries to my suv and pull behind the vehicle with the dogs in it so if the owner came out they couldn't leave.

After what seems like forever, this jackass comes strolling out of the store with his hair slicked back and in his thick jersey accent starts yelling at me asking me what my f'n problem is, just going off on me. He kept saying that the sunroof was open, but you could tell it wasn't. When he opened up the back of the suv, there were TWO dogs in the back.....one was laying down, obviously having some trouble. I tried to tell the guy how horribly hot it gets inside a closed up vehicle in this weather and he just didn't want to hear it. "He does it all the time." I told him he was going to rot in hel* and he started coming at me. The police never did show up and the 911 operator couldn't say if they would go to his house. (I gave her the vehicle info). I had no choice but to leave or he may have hurt me and/or rammed my vehicle with his. What a complete fool this guy is!!!!! I feel so bad for those dogs. For them and many thousands of others each day the words, "Wanna go for a ride" turn out to be not such a great thing for them!

If you can't take the dogs inside with you when you get to your destination, leave them at home - period!!!!!!!! Selfish people take their dogs for rides that often times end in horror for their pets that they "love so much!"

This is a topic that really gets under my skin - obviously............. Ignorance is NOT bliss...............

ORIGINAL: Sunshinegirl

First of all - For all of you who say you leave your beloved pets in the car with the motor running - have you ever given any thought to what happens if the motor cuts out for some reason????? It can and does happen. Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Yup! Thats why I never leave them for more than five mins, regardless of the temp... and I will NEVER leave them if I cant see the car at all times... IE credit card machine is broken at the gas pump and I have to pay the cashier.

First of all - For all of you who say you leave your beloved pets in the car with the motor running - have you ever given any thought to what happens if the motor cuts out for some reason????? It can and does happen. Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Obviously you didn't read the whole thing. I was on my way to get Kaiser's shot and i have until 5pm to pay my credit card bill at sears. It was already 4 o'clock so i pulled in and paid it. I say 5 minutes, but in reality it was probably 2. My car is not a piece of sh** so i doubt the engine will magically cut off. If it did, i think he could survive for 2 minutes. It's not like i go to the grocery store and shop and just decided to take my dog with me for the hell of it.

First of all - For all of you who say you leave your beloved pets in the car with the motor running - have you ever given any thought to what happens if the motor cuts out for some reason????? It can and does happen. Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Gee folks lighten up.  If you are so worried how could you ever leave your dogs alone.  Try traveling with your dogs and never leave them in the car with it running for any reason.  I hope you have a really strong bladder!!!!!   I have left my dogs in the car many times with it running and never have had the engine stall or overheat. 

i agree. being safe is good and necessary, but there are times where you have to take your chances and the best you can do is minimize the risk. it goes like that with everything.
you cannot avoid ALL risks at ALL times. period. if you leave them alone at home a fire might start in your house or a neighbours house and they might get killed. risks are always present..
 
on that note, i dont have a car and honestly wished this was a problem i would have to think about. try taking your dog somewhere (e.g. the vet) without a car, taking cabs... standing on the curb with a 10kg dog in your arms trying to find a cab that will take you... did i mension i hate vet visits? lol
 
ok, totally OT, i know.. i'll shut up now.

There are many dog I would never leave in the car alone and never a child because they cannot protect themselves. Kramer on the hand I feel bad for the person that opens that door and like I said above if something happens to the car I am right inside the window of the store and out ASAP. I only get milk if I take him or another thing , it certainly is not food shopping. he also has not ever been trained to attack but in a car I think he feels closed in with no escape, he won't even let my daughter in if I am not standing there. This is the dog that goes to different programs to talk about people and dog safety.

I've called the cops twice over this kind of stupid behavior.  Once in california, it was over 100 degrees out, and there were 2 little dogs locked in this car.  The windows were all the way up, No water, no nothing.

And once in my hometown, it was hotter than normal but not obscene enough to worry if it was only for a few minutes, but the car had been sitting there for over 4 hours with a german shepard in it.  Too hot for THAT. 

Otherwise, thankfully, I actually don't see this stuff very often.  I take my dog and leave him in the car with windows cracked on days where a/c isn't needed if I'm just running in and out of somewhere.  If it's too hot to take him he stays home with the a/c.