By Mary Nee
What’s on your summer beach checklist? A cooler, sunscreen, beach chairs, umbrella, towels, and snacks first come to mind. However, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) would like to add one more thing to your list: Please leave your pet at home!
For the last six years, ARL’s “Too Hot For Spot” summer pet safety campaign has reminded pet owners of the dangers of leaving animals in vehicles during the warm weather months. While this message should be seared into our minds, unfortunately we still see stories every summer about animals suffering in hot cars – and this needs to end.
While plenty of summer destinations like beaches and park areas have attentive staff who police parking lots, most incidents occur in places that are a part of our daily routine. The post office, grocery store, bank, and pharmacy are where dogs are primarily being left in hot vehicles.
Think about it, what’s the common thought process when running errands? “I’ll be in and out in five minutes tops.” The reality is that errands always take longer to complete than we anticipate. The average grocery store trip, according to the Time Use Institute, is approximately 41 minutes. There could be a line at the bank or post office. You may run into someone you know.
Unlike humans, animals cannot efficiently cool their bodies. And while the windows in the car may be cracked, even with outside temperatures below 80 degrees, the inside of a vehicle can heat up to well over 100 degrees in a matter of minutes. The stifling heat inside a car makes animals susceptible to heat stroke, and the onset of symptoms is rapid.
Health hazards aside, it’s against the law in Massachusetts to keep an animal confined in a vehicle when extreme heat or cold may threaten its health.
Please, when it’s hot outside, leave your dogs at home. Set them up in a cool, humidity and temperature-controlled room, give them plenty of water and make sure to limit their outdoor exercise to mornings or evenings when it’s coolest.
To learn more summer pet safety tips, visit arlboston.org/too-hot-for-spot. Let’s make this a safe summer for all!
