For some hard data, Fairfax County Animal Control in Virginia, says the following:
Note that’s not 80 or higher, that’s “in the 60s.”
I’ll go half and half.
You were right to be semi concerned, but, let’s be real: was it the heat of the day? What was the temperature?
Also, you seem very awfully smug, and you pray you’ll never have…etc about the dog? How about the human that you think isn’t in posession of her faculties? Do you ever pray that you’ll not see her body being dragged out? And on and on…
I wouldn’t want you for a neighbor, but I wouldn’t abuse you if you were one.
Best wishes,
hh
That is just plain weird, and I’m glad I wasn’t in your position, WOOKINPANUB, because I would have agonized over doing the right thing for the dog and not wanting to step on my neighbour’s toes. It sounds like you used your best judgement, and it came out okay.
I think it’s weird, too, that her vacuuming default is the car. I have to shut up my cats occasionally, and I have about five different choices for that other than a car in the sun.
The determining factor is the temperature/sunlight conditions. In the 80s, I completely agree with what you did.
Ouch! But hey, I asked. Just to clarify, I wasn’t on Doppler duty that day, but I’d estimate the temperature in the high 70s as is typical here this time of year. I thought I *was *getting real when I thought of the countless stories of children and pets that die in closed cars in a matter of minutes (I’m thinking twenty-five, not five, but still a matter of minutes). Honestly, I don’t know where you’re posting from but there are a constant stream of public service announcements around here because people don’t realize how quickly these things happen.
Not sure what makes me sound smug. I had and still have open contempt for anyone who leaves their pet in a closed car. The dog is totally at her mercy, so yeah, I’m a little more worried about something that is totally helpless. And in case you didn’t catch this part, I* pounded long and loud on her door to make sure she was all right.*. My first concern was that something terrible hadn’t happened because it would never occur to me that any responsible, not mentally retarded or sadistic person would leave their pet locked in a car on a Florida afternoon.
My dogs like being in the car, so putting them in there to get them out of the way might be an option for me, rather than locking them in a room, which I never do and would probably making them more stressed than hanging out in the car.
I would worry about a dog in a car with the windows rolled up in the sun. I would probably do what you did. Knock on the door repeatedly and loudly and then call someone. Depending on the dog, I may have tried the doors to see if they would open, but with my dog, he can be territorial in the car and may put a big, aggressive display on.
Very hot summer day and I had to take the cat to the vet. The dogs came along for the ride. In the clinic for maybe ten minutes - and someone rushes in saying the dogs in the car are panting heavily and over heating and do I know how much car can heat up, blah, blah, blah. Uh, thanks. It’s a hot day, there’s no A/C in the car or my home and yes, they’re hot. Windows are open all around and the car is in the shade. Best I can do. It’s summer. It’s hot. I’m sweating, too. I tried to be polite, but really, not much I can do other than what I did. Save the lecture.
Last week my mom told me a story about how she went out to read in her car (to get warm) and ended up sitting out there for hours. I asked if she cracked a window and she told me “no, the point was to get warm!” Granted, the temps were in the high 60s/low 70s but still, I’m glad nobody called the police.
I would say the OP was a tiny bit overzealous if she had called the police first but when you knock at someone’s door, knowing them to be there, and they don’t answer… what can you do? This is one of the jobs the police are for.
Even though the bolded part is at my expense, it made me giggle.
Neighbors are supposed to look out for each other. That sometimes means stepping in each others business, but we do it anyway because the benefits outweigh the inconvenience. Don’t feel bad about being a good neighbor.
In the last couple of years we’ve had two different K-9 police officers from different departments forget and leave their partners in the car to die of accidental heat stroke.
Of course I’d have first knocked on the door and then called the cops. You did exactly the right thing.
I think yes, you were a busybody, but your heart was in the right place.
I guess worst case scenario is you have to accept the label but you maybe saved a doggie.