# Dogs shut in car in parking lot. Need answer fast. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 12, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646 "2011-05-12T13:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/41 "2011-05-12T16:05:55Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > You call the cops, you are taking them away from another emergency call. That assumes (1) there is another simultaneous emergency; and (2) the cops are incapable of prioritizing the calls. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/42 "2011-05-12T16:13:54Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Could you tell us what indications of suffering there were? You said the dogs were yapping. That sounds like an indication of happy healthy dogs to me. I don’t know anything about dogs. I’m not a dog owner and don’t even really like dogs. The indication of suffering was that they were in a closed-up car parked in the sun with no owner in sight. Personally I would be suffering in such a situation so I’ll just assume the dogs would be. If the owner objects to being inconvenienced by my meddling then maybe he should have left a fucking window open. Or used the convenient leash station/water bowl that is left outside on the sidewalk for this exact purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/43 "2011-05-12T16:21:36Z")
We went to a state park and found two dogs baking in the back of a truck in summer at about mid-day, windows slightly cracked, the truck was in direct sunlight. Luckily, we could open the hatch. This let some cool air in and allowed us to give the dogs ice water. We told the park ranger who checked it out and then searched for the owners. The owners came forward and said, “Well, it was shady when we parked there this morning.” :smack: The ranger issued a citation. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/44 "2011-05-12T16:21:50Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > You call the cops, you are taking them away from another emergency call. I’m not saying don’t call- I just said call up there ! But I am in agreement here, there needs to be some judgement used. Cool early morning? Puppy yapping and barking and seeming VERY alive and perky? Well, stand by for a few minutes and see if owner shows up before calling in the cavalry. > . The 911 operator and the squad car who is called will use their discrection in responding, based upon facts & circumstances, and other calls. Our duty is to make the call and leave it up to them. I’d have to say I would not break a window for a dog, unless the 911 operator suggested it. But I might try the doors to see if unlocked. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/45 "2011-05-12T16:34:38Z")
A dog, cat, pet bird, or horse is not a child. Animal cruelty does not carry the same penalty as manslaughter, and for a reason. ---
**Author:** ![Hambil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3be4f8/32.png) [@Hambil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hambil)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/46 "2011-05-12T16:38:08Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > A dog, cat, pet bird, or horse is not a child. Animal cruelty does not carry the same penalty as manslaughter, and for a reason. Not a very good reason (in my humble opinion), but as usual YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/47 "2011-05-12T16:38:22Z")
[Previous thread on the subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320194), started by yours truly. > [@Desert\_Nomad](#): > > Last summer at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, a group of people broke into a car that had dogs trapped in it… over 90°F outside. What was the upshot of the whole thing? NPS Rangers are notorious animal lovers; I can’t imagine they went too easy on the owners of the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/48 "2011-05-12T16:38:48Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I don’t know anything about dogs. I’m not a dog owner and don’t even really like dogs. The indication of suffering was that they were in a closed-up car parked in the sun with no owner in sight. Personally I would be suffering in such a situation so I’ll just assume the dogs would be. If the owner objects to being inconvenienced by my meddling then maybe he should have left a fucking window open. Or used the convenient leash station/water bowl that is left outside on the sidewalk for this exact purpose. You sound like a very nice and caring person. In this case you might have projected your own feelings onto the dogs. Trying to find the owner yourself in this circumstance was the best thing to do, and it seemed to have worked out. But I doubt you would have been suffering in the same circumstance. Unhappy or uncomfortable maybe, but not in any danger. The problem with calling in the authorities is that they may over-react and cite the driver without good reason. That really shouldn’t be your problem, they are the ones who are obligated to act reasonable, but they tend to act defensively nowadays. It makes it tough for everybody when the circumstances aren’t clear. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/49 "2011-05-12T16:38:57Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > A dog, cat, pet bird, or horse is not a child. Animal cruelty does not carry the same penalty as manslaughter, and for a reason. Thank you for your useful contribution to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/50 "2011-05-12T16:47:21Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > BIG time dog lover here, who in hot weather leaves the car running with the AC on if the dogs have to spend any time at all inside, but … 71 degrees F? In the morning? That sounds fairly safe to me. I’m surprised no one has commented against this. What if the engine stalls? What if the car is nudged by another driver and goes into a gear? You’d either have baked dog or splattered dog. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/51 "2011-05-12T16:51:03Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > I’m surprised no one has commented against this. What if the engine stalls? What if the car is nudged by another driver and goes into a gear? You’d either have baked dog or splattered dog. Or a meteor could fall on it. As a matter of fact there’s a risk everytime someone gets in a car. The police should be busy giving out tickets to anyone who gets in a car.:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/52 "2011-05-12T16:51:51Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > We went to a state park and found two dogs baking in the back of a truck in summer at about mid-day, windows slightly cracked, the truck was in direct sunlight. Luckily, we could open the hatch. This let some cool air in and allowed us to give the dogs ice water. > > We told the park ranger who checked it out and then searched for the owners. The owners came forward and said, “Well, it was shady when we parked there this morning.” :smack:\ That’s one of the things I was thinking - I don’t know how many times I’ve parked in the shade and came back to a sunny car. The other thing is, like has been mentioned, your 10 minute estimation is likely to be wrong, and what is intended to be a quick trip in to pick something up can easily turn into a half hour shopping trip. Leaving a dog or a kid in a car is not a habit I’d get into. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/53 "2011-05-12T17:02:46Z")
Really? Our old dog loved to go on errands. She’d happily wait in the car for however long it took. I mean, not hours and hours on end, but easily 30 or 40 minutes. Car windows all down, of course. She could get out if she really wanted to, but she’d rather sleep. And she had water. She begged to go, although she didn’t get to if it was REALLY hot. But that would be way higher temps than the 70 or 80 degrees y’all are talking. And I remember spending a fair amount of time in the car as a child. Didn’t want to follow Mom around the store? Stay in the car and play. No problem. Of course, most of our cars didn’t have air-conditioning, so all the windows would be down anyway. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/54 "2011-05-12T17:04:17Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > At what point would you decide to smash someone’s car window? Once the dogs start to look lethargic and or are panting heavily. ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/55 "2011-05-12T17:12:01Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > If the exterior temperature is 72F, the car will reach an internal temp of 110F in 30 minutes. > [Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles](http://ggweather.com/heat/#heating) > > You’ll notice that the vast majority of children who died, were forgotten, and not left in the car intentionally. Very similar to the Doper’s extremely sad tale about his dog. Momentary inattention can be a death setence. \*It is not the case that only people who are routinely neglectful can forget their animal or child is in the car. \* I think it is horrible and dangerous to leave a dog in a hot car. I built a structure on the back of my truck with open (but fenced) sides for breeze and a plywood top for shade so that I am able to safely take my dog with me in the summer. That being said… The above statement of a 72 degree car reaching 110 degrees in 30 minutes is simply not true. There are a lot of other factors that go into this. If it is a sunny day, then I have no doubt that it quickly reaches that temperature. A cloudy day or raining day? In the shade? At night? Not a chance. Sunlight is a huge factor, which the above statement does not take into account. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/56 "2011-05-12T17:13:12Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > 71 F in the morning? Cite please. I take you haven’t heard of place called the Deep South? That was about our low this morning, before the sun even came up. By the time I was up and around outside it was 85 in the shade. Now the heat index is already over 103 due to the very high humidity. And in direct son its freaking brutal. I don’t even wanna think was it would be like in a car, even with the windows heavily cracked. Incidently, I almost just heat stroked/killed my old dog today because I let him out to pee and left him outside for less than 30 minutes. I had to rush him to the shower/bathtub. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/57 "2011-05-12T17:35:27Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Or a meteor could fall on it. As a matter of fact there’s a risk everytime someone gets in a car. The police should be busy giving out tickets to anyone who gets in a car.:dubious: I was going on the number of animal lovers in this thread; I’d never leave an unsupervised child in a car - engine running or no - as they like to twist and press stuff that they’re not supposed to. It seems leaving a dog in a car with keys in the ignition and a gear stick there to be licked and chewed is asking for trouble. [Pets can use the phone, just like their owners can](http://www.courierpress.com/news/2006/jun/20/hero-dog-used-phone-to-save-owners-life/). Meteors _could_ fall anywhere, but internal combustion engines and miles of electrical wiring are kept in relative safety. Leaving the a/c on sounds like panacea from heaven for the little fella, but to me it sounds … risky. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/58 "2011-05-12T17:46:04Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > I was going on the number of animal lovers in this thread; I’d never leave an unsupervised child in a car - engine running or no - as they like to twist and press stuff that they’re not supposed to. It seems leaving a dog in a car with keys in the ignition and a gear stick there to be licked and chewed is asking for trouble. [Pets can use the phone, just like their owners can](http://www.courierpress.com/news/2006/jun/20/hero-dog-used-phone-to-save-owners-life/). Actually, I don’t think its a good idea to leave a car running unattended in any circumstance. But unless it’s parked on a hill or could roll into traffic, the danger is mainly to those who are not in the car. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/59 "2011-05-12T18:05:09Z")
A dog can die in a car, even if left alone for only ten minutes. Even on a cool day. And even if the windows are cracked open. And even if you care about your dog, but have just a moment’s inattention. Unfortunately tragic thread from just a few days ago: [I killed my dog today](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=607740) I’d call. Who cares if the owner gets pissed off? At least the dog will be alive and a potential tragedy averted. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646/60 "2011-05-12T18:05:24Z")
> [@misterW](#): > > The above statement of a 72 degree car reaching 110 degrees in 30 minutes is simply not true. There are a lot of other factors that go into this. If it is a sunny day, then I have no doubt that it quickly reaches that temperature. A cloudy day or raining day? In the shade? At night? Not a chance. Sunlight is a huge factor, which the above statement does not take into account. I think the fact that the graphic on the linked page shows a cartoon car with wavy cartoon sun rays penetrating the windshield implies that they are referring to a car that is sitting in the sun, and not a car that is parked at night, or in a cave, or something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dogs-shut-in-car-in-parking-lot-need-answer-fast/581646.md?page=4)