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Can you leave a dog in the car? Nope!

DOG CARE AND HEALTH

By KashifPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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Ensuring the protection of our pets even in places that, at first, seem safe, is our responsibility as owners. The car is one of those places where we are convinced that it is a safe place for the members of our family, as long as they are protected with the mandatory security systems, but is it completely safe for our pets?

The safety of our pet inside the car is not only based on the use of harnesses or carriers in case of accidents, but we must also be aware of the temperature of the car , especially when those outside are very high .

Cars in the sun work like an oven , absorbing the sun's rays and increasing the temperatures inside them as if it were the greenhouse effect . The sensation of heat inside the car becomes suffocating , as these temperatures rise constantly and faster as time goes by , without ever stabilizing.

The oven effect of vehicles can cause heat stroke not only to people, but also to the animals that are inside. Therefore, staying inside a closed car without ventilation or air conditioning is a danger for both you and your pet. Avoid leaving your dog in the car at all costs!

Although the owners of dogs and other pets are increasingly aware of not leaving their animals alone in the car, many are still not aware of the danger it poses to them or do not give it the importance they should. In this article we are going to break down everything that involves leaving an animal alone inside vehicles and the legal and economic sanctions that can be given.

Can you leave a dog in the car in the summer?

A study from the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University in the UK investigated the interior temperature of vehicles over two years to determine how dangerous it was to leave dogs inside. His conclusion was that dogs could suffer from heat stroke if they stay in the car for a long time, since the temperature of the car exceeded 25 degrees throughout the year , while the animals are comfortable in a temperature between 15 and 25 degrees .

Depending on the physical conditions and the breed, the dogs will more or less withstand the temperatures of the microclimate that is created inside the car. Thus, brachycephalic dogs such as boxers, bulldogs or pugs will suffer more from the high temperatures inside vehicles than other breeds, but not because your dog does not have this characteristic snout you should not worry about its well-being.

Taking into account that the study was in the United Kingdom and temperatures are usually lower than in Spain, it can be even more dangerous to leave a dog inside the car in summer in our country.

Can you leave a dog in the car in winter?

We think that only in summer we should worry about not leaving our pet alone in the car, but nothing is further from the truth. The oven effect of cars also happens in winter and, contrary to what one might think, the hottest hours do not happen at noon, but around 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

As we have mentioned, the temperatures inside a car throughout the year exceed 25 degrees. Taking this fact into account and the fact that dogs feel comfortable with temperatures below 25 degrees, in winter it is also dangerous to leave a dog inside cars.

Why leaving the dog in the car is dangerous?

That study also determined that the hottest months are between April and September , and can exceed 35 degrees of temperature. From that temperature, dogs need to pant to regulate their own but, beyond 35 degrees inside the car, panting ceases to be effective . If your body temperature exceeds 39 degrees, you will suffer from hyperthermia and, reaching 41 or 42 degrees, you could suffer multi-organ failure and die .

For this reason, leaving the dog alone in the car is dangerous , and the more time it spends inside it, the more the temperature inside it will increase and the worse it will be. Next, we leave a table with the equivalences of exterior temperature, time and interior temperature that cars can have.

Can you be fined for leaving the dog alone in the car?

Although there is no explicit law on cases of abandonment of dogs or other animals inside the car, article 337 of the Penal Code considers mistreatment any means or treatment that causes injuries that negatively affect the health of domestic animals.

The penalties for violating this law range from 3 months to one year in prison , with disqualification from professional activity if it is related to animals for the same period of time. If the animal dies, this penalty amounts to 18 months in prison and four months of disqualification.

This is all that entails leaving your dog alone in the car throughout the year. Try to avoid by all means leaving your pet alone inside the vehicle and, if you have no choice, make sure that they do not exceed 5 minutes or, if possible, leave the air conditioning on , since the windows down are not a good solution.

Travel by car with your furry friend as safely as possible and do not put your health at risk with the internal temperatures of cars. If the car ride is long, make frequent stops so he can get some air and stretch his legs. It will be just as good for both of you.

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About the Creator

Kashif

Blogger | Creative Writer | Traveler | Full-Time Rver

I write because my heart tells me to, I read because I love stories that make my eclectic soul happy. I'm an Artist, Writer , Animal lover, traveller and free spirit

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