How many dogs die each year from being locked up in hot cars? Less than a thousand. With 73 million pet dogs in the U.S., this makes the yearly death rate of 0.001 percent. How often do dog owners get yelled at for having a dog inside a car for a few minutes? Every day.
I was parked for 20 minutes at the Eisenhower parking deck, with my windows down and my dog inside. A breeze was flowing through as it does in parking decks. Upon my return, I found a cop waiting for me because several people had called regarding my dog being left in the car. He was apologetic but suggested I shouldn’t bring the dog along.
I had to go to Meyer Dairy, and my dog needed a run. I ran her in a nearby creek to get her soaking wet en route on a five-minute trip to the dairy. Again, all windows were down, the sunroof was open. However, I was subjected to threats and anger from a fellow customer.
We appreciate peoples’ concern, but please realize that every situation is different. A dog dead in a closed-up car in Arizona does not compare with a wet dog in an open car in Pennsylvania at a store where people are in and out in five minutes. By complaining without evaluating, you are sentencing dogs to days on end in a crate. I don’t think our furry friends appreciate it. Please let up.
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Smita Bharti
State College
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