Denver Animal Protection reminds residents, ‘If you love ‘em, leave ‘em at home’ It’s not even summer yet, but our temperatures already feel like it, with another round of consecutive 90-degree days upon us. Denver Animal Protection (DAP) reminds residents to never leave their pets alone in vehicles. The best advice to pet owners this summer: ‘If you love ‘em, leave ‘em at home.’
Dog in Car
Since the start of 2022, DAP has received 136 calls for dogs left inside vehicles during extreme temperatures. DAP received another 346 calls for animals without shelter in unsafe temperatures. Leaving a pet in an overheated car can cause serious harm to an animal but can also lead to a summons for animal cruelty and a potential fine up to $999 and/or 300 days in jail.
In just minutes, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit—even if temperatures are mild or if the windows are cracked open. In that short time, a dog can suffer life-threatening heatstroke which can cause organ failure and death. Dogs don’t sweat like humans do—through our skin which evaporates and cools our bodies. Dogs release heat from their bodies primarily by panting, exchanging hot air for cool. But when the air inside a car is warm, they breathe in that heat and can’t cool off. That causes their body temperature to rise quickly and dangerously.
Obesity and pre-existing medical conditions put pets at even higher risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Puppies, elderly, long-haired, dark-haired, and flat-faced dogs are also more at risk for overheating.
If you suspect an animal is suffering heatstroke:
• Move the animal to shade or a cooler area.
• Cool the pet down with water or ice packs on the stomach only.
• Offer cool drinking water, but do not force-feed it.
• Don’t dunk the pet in water. This can hurt them even more when their temperature regulation is impaired.
• Don’t cover, crate, or confine the animal.
• Even if your pet responds to cooling treatments, it’s critical your pet sees an emergency veterinarian to see if it has suffered irreversible damage.
If you see a dog in a hot car immediately call the 911 extension for Animal Protection at 720-913-2080. You should also familiarize yourself with the city’s Good Samaritan law which provides legal immunity to people who break a car window to save an animal. However, to ensure immunity:
• You must believe the animal is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.
• The vehicle must be locked.
• You must make a ‘reasonable effort’ to find the vehicle’s owner.
• You must contact the Denver Police Department, Denver Fire or DAP before entering the vehicle.
• You cannot use more force than necessary to free the animal.
• If you break a window, you must remain with the animal, and on scene until police or DAP officers arrive.
Thirty-one states have laws that either prohibit leaving an animal in a confined vehicle under dangerous conditions or provide civil immunity (protection from being sued) for a person who rescues a distressed animal from a vehicle.
DAP also offers the following tips for protecting your pet from the summer heat, in general:
• Don’t transport animals in the beds of pickup trucks. It’s illegal to let dogs ride loose in truck beds. The hot metal can also burn their paws. Exposure to direct sunlight can be just as harmful as being left inside an enclosed vehicle.
• Keep walks during peak daytime hours to a minimum.
• Be mindful of hot pavement that can burn your pet’s feet. If you can’t hold your bare hand on pavement for 10 seconds, then it’s too hot for your dog to walk on. Also, being so close to the warm ground, your dog’s body can heat up quickly.
• Provide adequate shelter from the elements, as well as access to fresh water. Denver city ordinance requires pets have adequate outdoor shelter, such as a doghouse, porch area, or similar structure that allows an animal to escape the elements.
With these tips in mind, enjoy a fun summer with your furry friends. Don’t forget the safest place for your pet during the hot summer months is at home. “If you love, ‘leave ‘em at home.”