Is it OK to leave a dog in a car with the windows cracked?

Leaving Your Pet In A Hot Car Can Land You In Jail

Most dog owners know that you can’t leave a pet in a hot car.

Temperatures can rise to dangerous levels in just minutes, putting your dog at risk of heat stroke.

The answer is simple: You should NEVER leave a dog alone in the car, even with the windows cracked.

In some states, it’s even illegal.

Are You A Dog Killer?

Related Questions

Is it illegal to leave a dog in the car with the windows down?

Most dog owners know that you can’t leave a pet in a hot car. Temperatures can rise to dangerous levels in just minutes, putting your dog at risk of heat stroke. The answer is simple: You should NEVER leave a dog alone in the car, even with the windows cracked. In some states, it’s even illegal.

Is it OK to leave a dog in the car?

Most dog owners know that you can’t leave a pet in a hot car. Temperatures can rise to dangerous levels in just minutes, putting your dog at risk of heat stroke. The answer is simple: You should NEVER leave a dog alone in the car, even with the windows cracked. In some states, it’s even illegal.

Is it OK to leave dog in car in winter?

The short answer: no. For your pet’s health and safety, you should never leave them unattended in a car, no matter what the outside temperature is. In the winter, cars can quickly cool to the outside temperature, and especially small and inside-only dogs are at risk for serious cold-related issues (think hypothermia).

DON’T LEAVE YOUR DOG IN A HOT CAR.

What do you think of leaving your dog in the car for 5 minutes with windows down?

Today I took my dog to the dog park, made sure she had plenty to drink. I stopped by Whole Foods and was inside for 5 minutes. While I was checking out, there was a page over the intercom saying «Person with so and so car, with a dog inside come to customer service.» I knew what there were going to say at that point so I just walked outside. There was a women standing at my car with my car door open. My dog was in the front seat barking her head off. She then proceeded to ask me if it was my car, say how stupid I am, and yelling a bunch of insults at me for leaving my dog in the car. She said she took down my plate numbers and she’ll be watching me. She said, «how about I call the cops». She was very verbally abusive. I didn’t yell back, just told her to please remove herself from property because her hands were on my door. I’m pretty sure she put her hand in my car to open the door. I understand her concern for my dog, but I was only in the store for 5 minutes. It was 85 degrees, and I had all my windows cracked 4 inches and the sun roof was all the way open. My dog was fine. I wouldn’t leave her in the door more then 5 minutes. I understand the safety concerns with this and it was never my intention to hurt my dog, but why did this women have to act out in self righteousness? She kept saying, I’m so much smarter then you! She was just acting so crazy. What do you think?

My dog doesn’t bark in the car, she was barking at the women that had my car door open. My dog was obviously scared because of her.

9 Answers

I try not to ever leave them there, but sometimes you have to. As long as it’s not too hot or cold, the windows are down a bit, and it has water, they’re ok for a little while. I’d never leave one for a long time though, 5 minutes at the most if I have to run into the bank or something. I like to be able to keep an eye on the dog from the window too, so I wouldn’t go into Wal Mart or something.

I think the lady was overreacting and being a snot. Some people should keep their noses out of other peoples business- if the dog was suffering I could understand it, but not in a situation like this. I congratulate you on not yelling back. I would’ve gone ape shi*. You know whats ok for your dog, and she doesn’t.

I actually brought one of my goats on a ride to the bank and gas station one time, and when I came out there were a couple people staring at him debating on wether he was a dog or not.

Its a fine line between people who are so nosy and think they can go around yelling at others and than something that can be maybe abuse. I think next time if you can have the AC running. I usually do> but I’m usually in a good neighborhood, but I do that to avoid the drama from other people.

There is nothing wrong with leaving the dog in the car for 5 minutes. I would have told her to go ahead and call the cops so you could have them arrest her for breaking into your car.

It is completely okay to do that, as long as you have the windows open, and it has water or something somewhere accessible. You did the right thing, and 5 minutes is not that big of a deal. Just, next time if someone does that.. don’t listen to them. It’s okay.

i can’t say i havent done it a time or two before to run in to grab a cup of coffee or something fast but some people out there really go off the handle as long as you know that your dog was okay and wasn’t harmed just try to let it go. some people dont see that you have only been in the store for only a few minutes and are crazy animal activists so just watch out for the crazies 🙂

The lady should have been worried IF your dog was the windows down. That lady must have been sleeping on the wrong side of the bed.

Hope she doesn’t call the cops if she does you make a good point!

I think you did the right thing by not yelling back, but even 5 minutes could of been dangerous if it was hotter, some people are just, crazy. (The Lady not You)

Woww She’s crazy. She shouldn’t have to yell, and less with disrespect.

i think you should train your dog to not bark when you leave him in the car

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What to do when you come across a distressed dog locked inside a hot car

Flickr: Mujtaba Al-Mamun

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Smashing the window of a stranger’s car to rescue a dog inside on a hot summer’s day may seem like the right thing to do, but could it put you on the wrong side of the law?

RSPCA has recently called on pet owners to take the pledge to not leave their dogs locked up inside cars as temperatures begin to pick up.

They say leaving a dog in a car with the windows down will not prevent it from reaching extreme temperatures, and can kill them in as little as six minutes.

RSPCA Queensland chief inspector Daniel Young said anyone who came across the same situation at any time of the year should contact the relevant authorities, and said breaking in yourself was not recommended.

«I would certainly discourage people from doing that [breaking the window]. Damaging a vehicle is obviously going to be an offence there,» he said.

«The issue is if you can’t deem that animal as in distress and you’ve done that out of your goodwill to save that animal, you’re going to get yourself in a lot of hot water I would have thought.

«I would say that people need to contact the relevant authorities and leave it for them to deal with.»

‘We’ve been looking at potential amendments to the act’

And as for those leaving their dogs locked up?

First aid for heat stroke

• Remove dog from heat immediately, preferably into an air-conditioned building or, at the very least, into the shade
• Wetting down the area around your dog can also help to lower the ambient temperature
• Lower its temperature by wetting with cool but not chilled water and setting up a circulating fan
• Check rectal temperature every five minutes using a digital thermometer and continue cooling process until temperature drops to around 39 degrees
• Caution: Cooling too quickly can cause complications

There is no specific offence under Queensland law for leaving a dog in a car, or on the back of a ute.

But depending on the outcome, it could be an offence under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001.

Not only that, but leaving the windows down on an unattended vehicle is illegal.

For a vehicle to be considered unattended the driver must be more than three metres away from it. Legally, windows must be wound up, however a gap of five centimetres or less is acceptable.

Mr Young said while leaving a pet alone locked up was not an offence, RSPCA was hoping to change that.

«It’s something we’ve been looking at recently about potential amendments to the act to change that,» Mr Young said.

«But the reality is if you leave an animal in the car, particularly this time of year, it will inevitably become an offence because you’re leaving it in living conditions that aren’t appropriate.

«Even though we don’t see a lot of animals dying in hot cars they are still suffering and some of these animals can suffer long-lasting effects.»

Never break the window yourself: RACQ

So far this year more than 670 pets have been rescued from cars in Queensland by the RACQ.

In 2015, a total of 710 animals were rescued, down from 784 in 2014.

An RACQ spokeswoman said they were equipped to get into «almost any car within minutes» and urged people not to break windows to get in themselves.

«It’s a similar process for babies or children locked in cars, we don’t suggest you smash the window, people can injure themselves when they do that,» he said.

«Then if glass is smashed it can injure the child or animal. We can get into almost every car within minutes and safely.»

The spokeswoman said if anyone came across an animal in a car in distress to call triple-0, RACQ roadside assistance on 13 1111, and to do their best to cool the car.

«If you can [get] an umbrella up, hose it down whilst you wait for people to turn up,» she said.

«The real message is to never leave your pet in the car — even if you’ve cracked the window and will be a couple of minutes, especially in Queensland’s hot weather.»

Can I Leave My Dog in the Car with the Windows Down?

A lot of dog owners love the idea of taking their pup on adventures with them. However, whilst some stores and restaurants are dog-friendly, others do not allow dogs for health and safety reasons. This can leave you with a dilemma; how long can a dog be in a car with the windows down?

Surely a quick trip to the supermarket or meal at a restaurant won’t do any harm, right?

You might be surprised at the truth about leaving your dog in the car, even if the windows are down. In this short guide I will explain what the reality is, and what you need to know about the dangers even if you think the temperature is safe.

Can I leave my dog in the car with the windows down? Whilst you can leave your dog in a car with the windows down in cold weather, you should never do it on a hot day. Even with the windows down, cars can reach extremely high temperatures that can kill a dog.

The reality is that even if you plan to leave your dog in the car for a short time, this is still enough time to cause significant harm in hot or even just warm weather. This can still be the case even if you make adjustments like turning on the air conditioner or winding the window down lower.

All dog owners should be aware of the dangers keeping your dog locked inside a car. Depending on the time of year, the temperature can rise dangerously high, or drop dangerously low in a matter of minutes.

Even if you have good intentions or think you have found a way to stop the car from warming up or cooling down, your dog will still be at a significant risk of dying from heat exhaustion or hypothermia in cold conditions if left inside a car. They will start to panic, scratch at the car door, and eventually become very ill.

Even with the window down it could still be too hot in the car for your dog. (Image via https://pixabay.com/photos/dog-staffordshire-terrier-backseat-5271833/)

From a legal perspective, whilst the law in US states and the UK are mixed on this specific issue, it can be classed as animal abuse and neglect, which is against the law in both countries. I will explain more about this further down the page.

If you are still unsure about whether you should leave your dog in a car unattended, this article will detail the ethical and legal implications of doing so, as well as highlighting some of the potential dangers that arise from leaving your dog in a hot car even if the windows are down and open.

Can I leave my dog in the car with the windows down?

If you want to avoid any potential harm coming to your dog, you absolutely should not leave them in the car. You might think that leaving the windows down when you leave your dog in the vehicle will prevent them from coming to any harm, but this actually could not be further from the truth.

Firstly, it doesn’t have to be a scorching hot day for your dog to be at risk if they are left in the car. Studies have shown that in 70 degrees Fahrenheit weather, a car can reach 100 degrees in just 20 minutes and rise to 115 degrees within half an hour.

Even more concerningly, on a very hot day, a car’s temperature can climb to 140 degrees within the hour.

If someone asks you how long a dog can be in a car with the windows down, if it’s hot, the answer is literally just minutes before problems could develop.

Further to this, a dog’s body temperature only has to reach 103 Fahrenheit for them to start feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. If your dog is a brachycephalic breed, meaning that they have shorter and broader skulls than other dogs, they will feel the effects of heat exhaustion comparatively faster.

That means that any debate over what the safe temperature is to leave a dog in a car can depend on multiple factors.

For example, a study by the American Vet Association demonstrates that opening a car window makes little to no difference to the rate in which a car heats up. A parked car with the windows down warms up at about the exact same rate as a parked car with the windows up.

This is because cars are temperature conductors. This means that even if the windows are down and cooler air blows into the car, your car will still warm up rapidly because as conductors, they conduct and greatly intensify the outdoor weather.

The same goes if you are trying to keep a car warm and leave your dog in there on a very

cold day – the outdoor temperature means that your car will become dangerously cold in a matter of hours. Keeping your window open can also be a problem for dogs in case they get their head stuck or decide to jump out the car and escape.

How long can a dog be in a car with the windows down?

Whilst you should absolutely avoid leaving your dog in the car if possible, some people will say that it is generally safe to leave a dog for around five minutes.

I am not really convinced by this, and would not take this risk at all – and I suggest you don’t either, even with the car windows down.

However, even if it’s just for five minutes, you should always make sure that you don’t leave them completely alone – you should leave them with another passenger who can keep an eye on them. You should also keep the air conditioner or heat running in your car depending on the weather.

For example, when we take our dog out on a hot day and I need to run into a store, my wife will stay with our dog Claude, and often will step out of the car with him on a leash during the summer months.

Even if a passenger is with your dog, it is nonetheless important to make sure you don’t get side-tracked and keep your errand to five minutes to ensure the comfort of not just your dog, but your fellow passenger. Remember – cars heat up very quickly.

What is the safe temperature to leave a dog in a car?

Although you should actively avoid leaving your dog in a car, science shows that the safe temperature to leave a dog in car is when the outside temperature is above freezing and below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, if you leave a dog in a car even within this temperature range, they will still rapidly overheat or freeze because the car’s conductive effect will cause it to greatly intensify outdoor weather conditions within the car.

What the law says

Although the health implications of leaving your dog in a car even with a window down should be enough to deter you, here is some more information about the US and UK’s legal stance on the issue.

In the UK, it is not necessarily illegal to leave your dog in the car. However, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 states that it is illegal to abuse, mistreat or neglect an animal that is under your care.

So, if your dog suffers or dies as a result of you leaving them inside a car, owners will be prosecuted under this act. They have been before, and no doubt will continue to be in the future.

When it comes to the US, it is more complex. Whilst West Virginia and New Jersey are the only states that explicitly define leaving your dog in the car unattended as a criminal act, most states will prosecute owners under animal cruelty laws, especially if the dog comes to harm or dies as a result of leaving them in a car alone.

Conclusion

Ultimately, when it comes to leaving your dog in the car alone on a hot day, the stakes are too high for it to be even considered as an option, even with the windows down. A dog’s welfare should always come first, so if you are running a lot of errands, it is much better to keep them at home than keep them in your car.

Disclaimer: The information on safe temperatures in this article were taken second hand from social media comments. You should always do your own research into what is safe before making any assumptions.

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With the weather starting to hot up at the moment, here are some other guides which relate to dog welfare on warmer days.