Carson City Public Safety Reminder: With hot weather here, never leave your pets in the car
Submitted by editor on Wed, 06/01/2016 - 10:04am
Summer is right around the corner and now is a good time to start thinking about your pets when you are running errands around town. As the temperatures rise — with the mid-90s to near 100 possible this weekend — the risk of your pet dying from heat exhaustion for being left in a vehicle is high.
Every year hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion because they are left in parked vehicles while their owners are shopping, visiting friends or even gambling. Cracking the window will not reduce the risk and even the thought that you will be “Just a minute” often times turns out to be much longer.
Leaving the car running with the air conditioner on may seem like a good idea however; cars break down and thieves look for unattended vehicles. The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit in as little as 10 minutes. In an hour the difference can be 40 degrees or higher. A 70 degree day can be 110 degrees in your vehicle. These kinds of temperatures put your pets at risk of serious illness and even death.
Estimated Vehicle Interior Air Temperature v. Elapsed Time
Elapsed time Outside Air Temperature (F)
70 75 80 85 90 95
0 minutes 70 75 80 85 90 95
10 minutes 89 94 99 104 109 114
20 minutes 99 104 109 114 119 124
30 minutes 104 109 114 119 124 129
40 minutes 108 113 118 123 128 133
50 minutes 111 116 121 126 131 136
60 minutes 113 118 123 128 133 138
> 1 hour 115 120 125 130 135 140
Courtesy Jan Null, CCM; Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University
You love your pets and love to have them with you wherever you go. So why would you put them at risk by leaving them in your vehicle on a hot day or even a warm day for that matter? One other thing, when you do travel with your pet, make sure that they are properly secured in the vehicle.
Don’t allow them to hang over your arm with their head out the window as you drive, this is not only dangerous for the driver but, your passengers and pet as well should you get into a car crash. Take responsibility and ensure that you, your pet and your passengers arrive to your destination safely.
— Sgt. Scott McDaniel is with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and writes regular public safety columns. He can be reached at smcdaniel@carson.org
