Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Leaving Chidren or Animals in Car during warm weather
Just a reminder. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN AND/OR ANIMALS IN CARS during warm weather. The temperature in a car can rise very quickly. Disaster can happen in minutes. If you see an animal or chid unattended in a parked car please make sure that they are not in danger - IF IN DOUBT CALL THE POLICE. They do take these calls seriously and will respond promptly.
The following link summarizes the laws around the country.
http://www.animallaw.info/articles/qvuspetsincars.htm
Here is a chart for reference:
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Adina P on
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I read the most horrible story of an otherwise responsible woman who left her baby in the car --- I was sad for hours after reading it. I think the majority of us aren't going to purposely leave either child or dog in the car on a hot/warm day. But the article discussed at length how it CAN happen to anyone based on a change in routine and the importance of taking special precautions to avoid this. Essentially the story I read was about a woman who had to young kids (one a baby, the other toddler, I think). Normally her husband took the kids to daycare in the morning and she went to work. One day her toddler was sick and so the hubby stayed home with the sick child and she was supposed to take her younger kid to daycare before going to work. Well...as many of us do things on autopilot..she ended up doing so too.
The baby fell asleep (which he almost never did in the car) and wasn't his normal chatty self. Without that cue of things being different, she easily fell into autopilot and drove to work. Then forgetting everything she went to work...and then drove home and somehow in that series of events her memory clicked when she told someone (hubby?) that she'd dropped off baby at the daycare already. Of course the baby was still in the car. It did not survive. I'm still haunted by this story and it scares me to death. HOW many of us drive to work on autopilot? Forgetting the trip there? Many times I've had an errand to run after work and being on autopilot I end up driving halfway home before realizing I should have been going in a different direction.
I still don't think it could happen to ME...but the story freaked me out immensely. Some suggestions were to leave phone and purse in backseat so you HAVE to look in the back and notice your child. Not sure why I'm sharing this..since this is primarily about purposely leaving dogs/kids in the car on hot days...but the story had me nearly in tears so I had to share.
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Permalink Reply by Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle on
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The same story was on Oprah many years ago, but in reverse... for some reason, the mother couldn't take the baby to daycare as she usually did before work,and the father had to do it on the day of some big meeting. He was so preoccupied thinking about the meeting, he drove straight to work, parked his car and went in, leaving the baby in the car seat in the back of a closed locked car. He was just used to driving to work on autopilot and didn't remember the baby in the backseat of the car until it was too late. This baby did not survive either.
I apologize to all the great dads out there, but this story made more sense to me when it was the dad who forgot his child in the car. Still, either way, it doesn't really make sense no matter which way it goes, and it freaked me out, too. People who are that self-absorbed probably shouldn't have dogs or kids.
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I don't think its self absorbed. Preoccupation is so normal today. Having a huge to-do list. It doesn't mean you're "into" yourself...only that people are creatures of habit and can easily get absorbed into routine. I have a mirror that reflects Natalie into my rear view mirror (since all baby seats are rear-facing I wouldn't see her otherwise). i think that HELPS because I'm constantly looking at her. And most days she's NOT in the back of my car I expect her to be and feel like something is missing. So I don't "think" I could forget her...but I'm amazed at some of the things my brain does sometimes so I will be extra cautious. I just know that if *I* were that woman..I'd have lost my mind afterwards. Literally gone insane from guilt and horror. I once dreamed that while filling out a Costco application I suddenly remembered my baby was still in the car--it was one SPOOKY nightmare!
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Permalink Reply by AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner on
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Adina this is the perfect reminder. Yes leave something next to the child or dog that you must have with you when you leave the car, I don't think anyone wants their chikd or dog to get hurt or worse, they just don't realize what can happen.
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An interesting followup to this discussion. I was watching the TV show "What would you do?", they had an episode about babies and dogs alone in cars. It was filmed in NJ. They did say that in NJ it is ILLEGAL TO LEAVE AN UNATTENDED DOG ALONE IN A CAR. The following link is a summary of the laws around the country regarding leaving dogs in cars.
http://www.animallaw.info/articles/qvuspetsincars.htm
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I call the police every time I see this, too. And they will come out.
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Looking at the chart though it seems most of the states the 'illegal' part is if the circumstances (weather, etc) make it dangerous to the dog. Simply having a dog in an unattended car is not 'illegal' -- say it's 60 degrees out, the window's cracked and the dog is not in obvious danger...it would not be illegal in NJ or most of the other states (I say "most" because I didn't read them ALL).
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You're right, but the police make that determination when they get there.
Last year, there was a dog inside a car that was parked in a restaurant parking lot. The dog's barking and crying was deafening, and it did not stop. The weather was not sweltering and the windows were cracked, but the dog was yelping when we walked into the restaurant, and he was howling by the time we left 80 minutes later. I called the police. Although the officer felt the dog was not in danger due to the temperature, the owner (who had been sitting at the bar) was made to leave because the noise was deemed a "nuisance" to other patrons and to the residents of homes nearby! So the dog got some relief from my calling anyway.
I just don't see why it's necessary to leave your dog in the car while you have dinner and/or a few cocktails, period. Take the dog home and then go out.
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Permalink Reply by Allyson, Peri & Taquito on
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I would only take my dogs to a place that is dog-friendly and allows them to be at the table with you. Places are starting to catch on to this trend....at least around here!
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Adina - You are correct - it seems as it is only illegal if the animal is in danger. The TV show cleary said that it was illegal to leave a dog alone in the car. Perhaps they were "simplifying" things for TV.
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I am "reviving" this discussion as reminder to everyone to be carefull as summer approaches.
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Another reminder!!!!!
These tragedies can be avoided - as the attached articles states it can take as little as 15 minutes for a dog (or child) to suffer tragic consequences.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/28/ian-craven-suicide-police-...
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