Keeping a pet in a locked car

The little culture shocks of traveling abroad!

I remember many years ago while visiting Great Britian how common it was to see a dog locked into an unattended parked car, especially in Scotland. Being from Houston, Tx, this is something that is just not often seen. If you ever see an animal in a parked car down here, it is only very briefly with the window rolled down. Not only is this extremely frowned upon, but illegal in much, if not all, of the south, due to the fact that a dog will die if left long enough in a hot car. Which is not a very long time. Of course, brutally hot days are common in much of the U.S. More so than in Great Britian.

However, Northern European countries do occasionally have “unseasonably warm” days that could put animals in danger. But, at least as far back as when I visited, this does not seem to be much of a concern.

Just curious, what’s the attitude and laws in other parts of the world?

Here in Queensland, Australia, it isn’t against the law per se, but you could be fined under the Animal Care and Protection Act if doing so led to the animal coming to grief. However, it would most likely only result in a slap on the wrist.

The RSPCA campaigns against this (and tying dogs up without shade and water) every summer.