# What is WITH people?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 2, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064 "2004-03-02T06:12:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/1 "2004-03-02T06:12:23Z")
Today I was sent to “round trip” a car in Valet…that is, a customer asks for his car to be brought around, they pick domething up or drop something off, and the car is reparked. He put a _puppy_ in the back seat and told me to leave the window open a crack for it. What the FUCK, man! You toss in a little baby dog in the back seat like its a piece of goddam luggage? And this guy had his car parked in the VIP area on the first floor, so you know he’s a fuckin’ Prima Donna. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![SubliminaLiar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@SubliminaLiar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SubliminaLiar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/2 "2004-03-02T06:31:30Z")
> [@](#): > > **…“He put a puppy in the back seat and told me to leave the window open a crack for it”…** So… is that what you did, left the puppy in the car? And if so, how long was it before the guy came back? _btw, what kinda car was it? Just curious_ ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/3 "2004-03-02T06:39:43Z")
I’m confused. What’s the major problem here? It appears that the car was parked in a parking garage, so there should be no environmental concerns (such as excess heat) to worry about. Or are you suggesting that dogs can’t be left alone for whatever period of time? (Disclaimer: I’m not a dog owner, so I’m clueless about the care and feeding of puppoes.) ---
**Author:** ![Suzene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@Suzene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suzene)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/4 "2004-03-02T07:12:41Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > I’m confused. What’s the major problem here? It appears that the car was parked in a parking garage, so there should be no environmental concerns (such as excess heat) to worry about. Or are you suggesting that dogs can’t be left alone for whatever period of time? > > (Disclaimer: I’m not a dog owner, so I’m clueless about the care and feeding of puppoes.) Well, aside from the environmental concerns, odds are the puppy is going to get bored, hungry, or need to go out if left alone for any significant length of time. This fellow is looking as a high probability of coming back to a shredded, urine-stained car interior. Out of curiosity, was this at a mall? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/5 "2004-03-02T16:42:09Z")
Ford Explorer, parked at Ballys Park Place Casino, Atlantic City. No, I did not repark the car…I left it in the Porte Cochere the animal could be looked after by us Valet Jockeys. The guy just came down and tossed the puppy in the back, planning to come back…_whenever._ This is animal neglect, illegal in New Jersey (so sez my boss, and I believe it). ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/6 "2004-03-02T16:53:46Z")
Boy, the idea of crate training must make your hair stand on end. How in the world is this animal neglect? Puppies are just fine left to their own devices in small spaces. Depending on the age of the puppy, up to four hours will be fine. Unless you have some evidence that the guy wasn’t going to come back until the next day, or something, there’s just nothing wrong with leaving the puppy alone for a while. Responsible and loving people leave their puppies regularly for chunks of time, and those pups turn out just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/7 "2004-03-02T17:04:05Z")
> [@](#): > > It appears that the car was parked in a parking garage, so there should be no environmental concerns… It doesn’t matter, I wouldn’t even want to take the chance. Dogs pant almost constantly and need good ventilation. Leaving the window open “a crack” does not qualify as good ventilation, in my opinion. I also question how much this man cares about his dog if he trusts some car park attendant he’s never met before to lock it up and leave the window cracked. I hope the dog left a big surprize all over the seats. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/8 "2004-03-02T17:29:43Z")
> [@Beadalin](#): > > Boy, the idea of crate training must make your hair stand on end. > \ Crate training is not the same a chucking a puppy in the back of a car and leaving it in a parking garage. Crate training is fine for dogs, but it needs to be done in a proper manner, and what this guy did is not it. From [this](http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html) site: > [@](#): > > The crate is not intended as a place to lock up the dog and forget her for extended periods of time. From [this](http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/cratetraining.htm) site: > [@](#): > > The crate should always be associated with something pleasant ---
**Author:** ![byter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@byter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/byter)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/9 "2004-03-02T19:50:04Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > Ford Explorer, parked at Ballys Park Place Casino, Atlantic City. > > No, I did not repark the car…I left it in the Porte Cochere the animal could be looked after by us Valet Jockeys. > > The guy just came down and tossed the puppy in the back, planning to come back…_whenever._ > > This is animal neglect, illegal in New Jersey (so sez my boss, and I believe it). So this post was 10 hours after your original post. Any facts you would like to provide now? How long was the dog left? What was average ambient temperature? Was Porte Cochere in direct sunlight, was it during the middle of the night? What the hell exactly are you bitching about here? This guy owns a puppy and you don’t? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/10 "2004-03-02T21:20:29Z")
My OP was posted as soon I got home that night (around 1 AM), and the next post is when I got up in the morning to see the replies. The event occurred around 8 PM in 40 degree weather, and didn’t show up again for another 3 hours. Guess he was a little busy doing more important stuff. ---
**Author:** ![byter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@byter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/byter)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/11 "2004-03-02T21:53:07Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > The event occurred around 8 PM in 40 degree weather, and didn’t show up again for another 3 hours. So that was like what, 21 dog hours? 😛 Really though, 3 hours in that kind of weather is not neglect. Someone could have stolen the animal, but I doubt the animal suffered much, if any discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/12 "2004-03-02T22:05:40Z")
I have to agree with those saying this isn’t a big deal, at least based on the information you’ve given us. It was at night, in the shade, with the window open. Seems like the worst that could happen is the pup stains the back seats. And, hell, if he’s got a puppy, odds are good he’s got kids, too, in which case the upholstery is doomed no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/13 "2004-03-02T22:38:55Z")
Okay, lets put it this way… What if the man just shoved his ten year old son back there and left him alone for a few hours? ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/14 "2004-03-02T22:51:15Z")
Theres a hell of a difference between a puppy and a kid… People who know about dogs have already come into this thread and said its no big deal, kids are different, they need more learning and certainly need more space then the back of a car. Theres no need to even bring a kid into it, wheres the proof that this guy would ever do this to a kid just because he did it to a puppy? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/15 "2004-03-03T01:54:18Z")
I don’t know, this still doesn’t sound very good to me. A puppy’s not the same as a dog - he’s just little, and he needs more looking after than an adult dog does. Just because you _can_ leave a puppy doesn’t mean you _should_. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/16 "2004-03-03T02:12:38Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Seems like the worst that could happen is the pup stains the back seats. No, the worst that could happen is that the puppy grows bored and starts chewing, and ingests either enough foreign material to cause a bowel obstruction or something toxic. Puppies that are still in their “chewing stage” should never be left unattended for more than a few minutes unless they’re in a crate or in a space that’s been “puppy-proofed” (which a car certainly isn’t). If you wouldn’t leave your 15-month old toddler alone in the car for three hours, you shouldn’t be leaving a puppy alone for three hours either, and for pretty much the same reasons - creatures that young are simply too good at hurting themselves! Too much mobility and dexterity, not enough brains… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/17 "2004-03-03T15:22:49Z")
> [@Delly](#): > > Theres a hell of a difference between a puppy and a kid… > > People who know about dogs have already come into this thread and said its no big deal, kids are different, they need more learning and certainly need more space then the back of a car. > > Theres no need to even bring a kid into it, wheres the proof that this guy would ever do this to a kid just because he did it to a puppy? Umm…there isn’t. Nobody said there was, either. Kids need more learning and more space? Explorers are big. I’m a full grown man, and I can sit quite comfortably in one of those mini-dreadnaughts just fine. So let’s not play the space issue. As for needing “more learning”, I don’t even know what that means. A rubber toy will distract a puppy and a year-old kid quite adequately. The point is, a puppy and a child are both a responsibility. They’re both helpless little things. Either one of them would be safe locked in the back of an Explorer for three hours at night in a parking garage. That does not make either one the right thing to do. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/18 "2004-03-03T16:03:21Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > Ford Explorer, parked at Ballys Park Place Casino, Atlantic City. > > No, I did not repark the car…I left it in the Porte Cochere the animal could be looked after by us Valet Jockeys. > > The guy just came down and tossed the puppy in the back, planning to come back…_whenever._ > > This is animal neglect, illegal in New Jersey (so sez my boss, and I believe it). If the animal was put in harm’s way, it would be neglect. It’s not hot out, so the dog is probably going to be fine. The same can probably not be said for his car. If you were so worried, why didn’t you call the cops? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/19 "2004-03-03T16:04:59Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > No, the worst that could happen is that the puppy grows bored and starts chewing, and ingests either enough foreign material to cause a bowel obstruction or something toxic. \*\*Puppies that are still in their “chewing stage” should never be left unattended for more than a few minutes unless they’re in a crate or in a space that’s been “puppy-proofed” \*\* (which a car certainly isn’t). > > If you wouldn’t leave your 15-month old toddler alone in the car for three hours, you shouldn’t be leaving a puppy alone for three hours either, and for pretty much the same reasons - creatures that young are simply too good at hurting themselves! Too much mobility and dexterity, not enough brains… 😉 I disagree. I left my puppy alone every day when I went to work. Most people do. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-with-people/232064/20 "2004-03-04T03:51:42Z")
All right, here’s a thought for those of you who are saying what that guy did is “no big deal”. Puppies need to eat and drink regularly. Why not ask the OP if there was food and water in the car for the puppy? If not, than it’s neglect, because if the critter is young enough it needs to eat often. Certainly at least once within the 3 hour period it was in the car, and likely it would want at least one drink in that time too.