[KaseyT]

for leaving her dog in her car at 9:30 at night.

Her, her boyfriend, and Great Dane were returning from a long weekend trip and stopped to get groceries. While she was shopping, her boyfriend took the dog for a walk. He returned the dog the car, went back in the store, where they both finished shopping. 15 minutes later they came out and found the police blocking her car. AC had also arrived in case they had to take the dog.

While the police spent 20 minutes writing up her ticket, they did not ask her to turn on her car to run the AC or ofter the dog water, but they put her in handcuffs.

This was Monday night about 9:30 PM. The temp was around 80, and the car windows were half open, enough to stick his giant head and neck out.

Apparently some concerned citizen called the police because he had his head out the window and was "panting".

[Pai]

This happens a lot, actually. Some busybody will call animal control because your dog is in a car, no matter if it's actually hot enough out for it to be a hazard.

Some people actually think that simply leaving a dog in a car will cause the dog to overheat regardless of the actual temperature outside.

[4dogs3cats]

She should fight it. If the cops held her up for another 15 minutes or so they were putting his life in danger as well. If the dog was in that much distress, they should have had her tend to the dog first.

[HoundedByHounds]

But I think a person sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car, magically lowers the temp by like 30degree...

AR freaks...hopefully these idjits stay far away from dog shows and dog performance events...

[Criosphynx]

That so stupid, some dogs pant all the time. I can't beleive AC actually showed up to a call....wow


My SO left the air conditioning on one time for Scooter on a hot day and a lady still got in his face about it. Some people are real busy bodies.

Everytime i do it im terrified that som'one is going to break the window and steal my dog...

[Pai]

Originally Posted by Criosphynx

Everytime i do it im terrified that som'one is going to break the window and steal my dog...

Yeah, that thought always crosses my mind as well.

[Xeph]

It annoys me too...I've been accused of the same thing (leaving Strauss in a car at a dog show).

I walked away for FIVE MINUTES to talk to the breeders of the dog I'd just bought (they brought him to the show for me to look at), and a woman from my kennel club came in, basically told me I was a terrible dog owner, and walked away.

Ok....The windows were down. It was cool out. And...it was RAINING. I got the inside of my car WET so my dog wouldn't overheat (in the cool April temperatures..)

Cut to last year, I'm out at my kennel club for agility practice. It is indeed hot outside, which I openly admit. My dog is in the car, all four windows half rolled down, me checking on him every two minutes (literally).

Same woman from aforementioned show comes to me, tells me yet again what a terrible dog owner I am and how I should know better when it's so hot out.

I calmly tell her I JUST put him BACK in the car (I'd had him out to walk him and to wet his belly and feet) and that I've been checking on him every couple of minutes to be sure he's safe.

I then basically told her to eff off and to just mind her own dog aggressive Shepherd menaces (She has GSDs with HORRID temperaments), and that I was sick of her and her holier than thou attitude.

I don't see her at our club anymore.

I'm ok with that.

I AM ok with people that are concerned about the dog...THAT I get, truly. What I am NOT ok with is an immediate call to animal control and the police. One should first announce to somebody within an establishment that there is a dog out in a car that they are concerned about, they should give the model of the car and the license plate, and the establishment should then send a public page in the store (they do it all the time for friggin lost kids).

That way the owner can come and tend to the dog and check on the dog to placate everybody and be sure their pet is ok. There's no reason to jump to one extreme before even trying to find the owner of the damn dog.

I've had my dogs in my car, in the evening, with the windows down, SOAKING WET and had people worry that my dog was overheating...because he was panting.

Dude...dogs run around. Dogs swim. Dogs MOVE. They end up panting.

Stick your undies in the freezer for a bit and CHILL.

[KaseyT]

There apparently had been some local news coverage over the weekend of people leaving dogs in cars. In fact a local news crew came by our dog park on Tues. night to get some reaction to the issue.

I would have though the difference between leaving a dog in a car during the day vs. during the night would have been obvious to the police and AC.

[JenTN]

One way to avoid this in many cities is to have water accessible to your dog when you leave it in the car. In many cases, the law shows no distinction for day or nightime, or temperature. I believe mine is that a dog must have water and shleter.

[sheltiemom]

Was she actually arrested and charged, or ticketed? I had a similar thing happen to me once with my previous dog, really, almost the exact same circumstance, we had just come back from vacation (spring break, in April, it can't have been over 70) and stopped by the store to get some groceries, first my then husband went in alone, and then I went in to see if he was almost done. When we came out AC was there. I wasn't even gone from the car 5 minutes, so someone must have called while I was still in the car. I wasn't ticketed or anything though, the cop said "You know it's illegal to leave a dog in a car?" and I said, "Really? Illegal?" and (this is my favorite part) he said, "well, no, it's not illegal, but it's not a good idea"...My ex said basically, you just told us we're not breaking any law, move your car, we're leaving, and he did, and we left. I found the situation ironic, to say the least, but I'm stopping now because I feel a serious rant about the nanny state coming on....

[KaseyT]

Originally Posted by sheltiemom

Was she actually arrested and charged, or ticketed?

She received a summons to appear in court to answer the charge of animal cruelty. Why she was handcuffed is still a mystery.

A. Any person who (i) overrides, overdrives, overloads, tortures, ill-treats, abandons, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain not connected with bona fide scientific or medical experimentation, or cruelly or unnecessarily beats, maims, mutilates, or kills any animal, whether belonging to himself or another; (ii) deprives any animal of necessary food, drink, shelter or emergency veterinary treatment; (iii) sores any equine for any purpose or administers drugs or medications to alter or mask such soring for the purpose of sale, show, or exhibition of any kind, unless such administration of drugs or medications is within the context of a veterinary client-patient relationship and solely for therapeutic purposes; (iv) willfully sets on foot, instigates, engages in, or in any way furthers any act of cruelty to any animal; (v) carries or causes to be carried in or upon any vehicle, vessel or otherwise any animal in a cruel, brutal, or inhumane manner, so as to produce torture or unnecessary suffering; or (vi) causes any of the above things, or being the owner of such animal permits such acts to be done by another, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

[muki89]

I think she'll get off without an issue. Once she finally gets the chance to explain herself that is.

Someone should come up with a 'Yes, my dog is in the car and I'm checking up on it, not animal cruelty!' sign to stick on the windor of the car (Like, a baby on board sign) Doesn't have to say what I typed...

Most owners leave their dogs in their cars for their safety. I'll much prefer to leave my dogs in my car with the windows down/air con on rather than tie them up to a pole when I go shopping. Busy bodies

[harrise]

Tis' the season. Maybe the gas prices have helped, but I haven't seen the old lady who surfs the lots around here. She would spend all day writing down license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions. I can see when it's after 8-9 am in summer with just cracked windows, but to be out there half a second after sunrise was a bit too much. People like that keep me from going inside places. I will not leave them unattended, I might not be able to control myself. Yeesh.

[Willowy]

Tragically, I have know a few people who lost their dogs when they left them in the car too long (it was only 80 degrees! And I cracked the windows... etc.), so I'm glad someone is looking out for the dogs. But personally, I would just wait with the dog and car for 10 or 20 minutes to see if the owners would come back in a timely manner. I wouldn't call the cops right away, unless the dog appeared to not have much time left. This case seems like an overreaction, IMO.

[Pai]

Originally Posted by KaseyT

She received a summons to appear in court to answer the charge of animal cruelty. Why she was handcuffed is still a mystery.

They probably figured the intiimidation and public humiliation would help 'teach her a lesson'.
I swear cops are doing that kind of bully crap more and more often lately.

[Criosphynx]

Originally Posted by Pai

They probably figured the intiimidation and public humiliation would help 'teach her a lesson'.
I swear cops are doing that kind of bully crap more and more often lately.

its for their safety. People read to much in to it. Its nothing personal.

[B-Line]

What a bunch of crap.. I hope she sues and wins.

[Annamarie]

if AC didn't seize the dog, then obviously it wasn't showing any signs of distress. if they had taken the dog and had to treat it then that would be different. She should check if they made a note of the dog's condition in their report.

I'm sure she'll probably get off. Being charged with cruelty doesn't mean anything, being convicted does.

[melgrj7]

In the winter I leave my dogs in the car, with windows cracked and I have one of those no spill type bowls with water. And only at night or early morning during the spring/summer/fall if its not to hot. I never leave them if I am going to be more than like 10-15 minutes or so. I think charging her with animal cruelty is ridiculous, especially if they weren't even concerned enough to have her tend to the dog.

[TooneyDogs]

Well, she's lucky she didn't leave a baby in the car....the results would be much worse for her. In case you're wondering what the temperature difference for a baby and a dog is...they are the same.