Dogs, Cars and Summer

Well, here we are; the first complete day of summer. What a great time of year. Today's blog is kind of like those news stories that you can count on every year. When the 4th of July comes there is always a news story about safety with fireworks. When it's Christmas you can count on a story about being safe with your Christmas tree. New Year's; a story about cooking ham. This one is about idiots (and I hope you're not one) who leave their dogs in a car for way to long with too little shade or air.

How often have you seen a dog left in a vehicle with the window barely cracked? You look inside and there is no water for the dog and the dog(s) seem to be suffering. To top things off the dogs guardian did not even park in the shade and the sun is beating down on the car! You look around and don't see anyone and you are left wondering what to do.

I believe (I have to) that most of the time when we find dogs left in this situation there was a mistake made. I think most often people don't expect to be gone as long as they really end up being. They think they will just run into the store, friends house, etc, for "just a few minutes" that ends up being much longer. The think that "cracking the windows open" will somehow provide needed relief from the heat. Memorize this, IT WILL NOT! It is never alright to leave a dog in a hot car for even a few minutes. You never know what might happen and the dog could end up getting left in the car much longer than intended. Talk to any veterinarian and ask them how often they have to treat dogs from being overheated in the car. No one MEANS to have it happen but often a person arrives back at the car to find their dog overheated; sometimes to the point of heat stroke. Heat stoke can happen quickly and often it is too late to save the dog.

Heat stoke is caused by the body rising to a very high body temperature. For dogs it is a rectal temperature of 105 degrees F or higher. It will affect the nervous system and symptoms may include weakness, lethargy, collapse and possibly the dog will go into a coma.

Dogs left in cars on hot summer days is the most common reason that dogs succumb to heat stroke.

A dog will normally dissipate heat from their skin and by panting. Panting allows evaporation of water from a dogs respiratory tract and is a very effective way to dissipate heat. A dogs ability to dissipate heat is dramatically altered, and overwhelmed, when a dog is overheated. Usually heat stoke will develop.

Treatment for heat stoke is difficult and even with treatment many dogs do not make it. When you see a dog left in a car on a hot day what should you do? Ignore it? I guess if your concience will allow you to do that you probably have not read this far so I don't need to address you. If you have read this far it is because you care and that care is sometimes a dogs only hope that the situation will get better.

The reality is that a dog can die in just a few minutes if left in a very hot vehicle. The dog needs help. Call animal control or the humane society in your area. Inform them as to what is going on and ask for a recommendation. Leaving a dog in a hot car is pet abuse. Plain and simple.

During hot weather NEVER leave a dog in a car even with the windows cracked open. Not for any reason. Not for any length of time.

Be Kind to Animals Week, May 2-8

I usually try to limit myself to one blog posting per week. Otherwise, I am afraid that I will spend all of my time writing blogs when I should be out training dogs. (Wow, now I am writing poetry too!) However, tomorrow is the beginning of Be Kind to Animals Week so I just had to comment on it. We should not limit care and kindness to one week each year but the week really is a time for the choir to preach to the choir and renew our commitment to be kind to the animals that share this planet with us.

If this is the first Be Kind to Animals Week you have celebrated here are some ideas about what you can do to celebrate.

Adopt: If you are looking for a pet go to a shelter or rescue and help them out by adopting from them. They really do have their hands full of animals waiting for a home. If you have your heart set on a specific breed there is a rescue group for almost any breed of cat and dog that you can think of. You can check online and find all of them in your area. Just be sure you do some soul searching and know that you are financially, emotionally and settled enough to provide a good home to your new friend. It is a real heartbreaker to see an animal go back to a shelter or rescue just because the person who “rescued” it did not think things all the way through. Are you really ready to make a commitment that may last for several years? Are you willing to pay for food and medical care? Having a pet is not cheap, the costs can add up dramatically sometimes.

There are other things you need to consider. What is your lifestyle like? Are you gone a lot? If so, maybe a cat would be the best match for you. Most cats don’t mind being alone for hours at a time. Dogs on the other hand are called companions for a reason. Most of them love to be with people. If you have to leave them for long periods of time your dog may get bored and destructive; not because they want to tear up your stuff but they are taking out their frustration the only way they know how. What are you prepared to do to deal with that?

Spay and Neuter: Most shelters and rescues have already taken care of this but be sure to find out. If you have a pet that is not spayed or neutered do the responsible thing and get it done. It’s good for you, your pet, and the world at large.

Animal Abuse: Most of us are well aware of animal abuse due to high profile cases that have been in the headlines the past couple of years. If you witness abuse of an animal report it to the proper authority in your area. Keep in mind that abuse comes in many guises. Besides fighting it can be as subtle as lack of water and food. Being forced to stay in the yard all of the time or worse yet being chained in the yard all the time is abuse. Not providing room for a pet to exercise. Animal abusers will not stop because the light bulb came on. It is up to us to see that abuse stops.

Kindness extends to all animals: There are animals all over that need our help. Just in your neighborhood I bet you can find several species of wild animals that you can show kindness to. If you decide that you would like to help them contact the appropriate agency and seek their advice on what you might do to help the wildlife in your area.

Commit Yourself: There are so many ways you can help in the fight for animal welfare. Check with an animal shelter in your area and see how you can volunteer. Rescue organizations are always looking for help. The list goes on. Together we are making a change but the fight is far from over. If you can do nothing else then just be kind to animals; that is a start.