Dog in car: how hot is dangerous?

May 28, 2018 12:21 PM

There's a dog in a car on my street. Windows are partially open and there's a heat reflector in the windshield, so the owners took some precaution. But the weather just got hotter quickly, and I'm concerned it might be dangerous for the dog. How hot is too hot? This is surprisingly difficult to figure out. All of the advice about dogs in cars just says things like "in 20 minutes, the car can reach 100 degrees! Don't do it!"

I'm looking for something more specific. There has to be a scale somewhere based on time and temperature, right? I'm imagining something like, most dogs are in imminent danger if they spend 60 minutes in 105 degrees, 40 minutes at 110 degrees, or 20 minutes in 120 degrees. I want to know when it's appropriate to damage someone else's property to save their dog.

I have an accurate thermometer that I could use to measure the temperature inside the car. The windows might be open enough that we could just reach in and open the door. But I'd still want to have a very good idea of the level of danger before taking this kind of action.

posted by reeddavid to Pets & Animals (16 answers total)

It probably depends on the dog.
I once was stuck in the car with my dog in a traffic jam, and we both became ill and threw up before we managed to get off the highway and to a place where I could get water. As I remember it, it was about an hour at something like 28 celsius, probably hotter in the car because the aircondition broke down. We were really ill, but both recovered after a break with shade and water. My dog is big, black and with a thick fur.
posted by mumimor at 12:28 PM on May 28, 2018

I think you should not waste a minute debating this, and should get that dog out of the car.

But here is something to check out: Is There a Safe Temperature to Leave a Dog in a Car?
posted by merejane at 12:29 PM on May 28, 2018

Pets in Vehicles with a temperature chart.
This show color of vehicle and cracked windows only slightly mitigate it.
Humane Society: Contact animal control or the police with the make and plate number on the car.
posted by Crystalinne at 12:32 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

This is the kind of thing where you need to call the authorities in your town/city and let them make the call/get the dog out if need be. If 311 is available in your area, call them and they'll tell you what to do.

I would absolutely not touch the car, that opens you up to legal trouble.
posted by AlisonM at 12:33 PM on May 28, 2018 [20 favorites]

Another link, and a quote: "On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting."
posted by merejane at 12:33 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

Where we are (New York City), I would call 911, if I could not get the dog out of the car.
posted by merejane at 12:34 PM on May 28, 2018 [3 favorites]

Car models can vary, but you can generally be certain that it's too hot. Both of those are reasons to treat this as an emergency. Here, people call 911. I recommend you do that now, if you haven't already.
posted by Verba Volant at 12:37 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

One more post from me:

In some states, you are allowed to legally break into a car when a child or animal is left alone. See, e.g., this article, which notes: "Where I live in Tennessee, a law was recently passed to protect dogs left in hot cars. In 2014, the 'Good Samaritan Law' took effect, allowing people to break into a car if they see a child trapped inside a hot car. Starting July 1, 2015, that law also includes animals."
posted by merejane at 12:41 PM on May 28, 2018

Colorado has the same law re: breaking the window. You just have to be sure that 1) The animal (or child!) is in imminent danger of death and 2) You have exhausted all other options. I'd try to call the police or animal control first if you can't locate the owner.

For dogs, look for heavy panting, glazed eyes, dark tongue, or vomiting.

Thank you for looking out for this dog. Here in Colorado, there's a hefty fine for people who leave children and animals in cars in extreme weather.
posted by mochapickle at 12:46 PM on May 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks for all the links. I understand how temperatures can climb, and the potential danger. But I still don't think we know from anything posted what a safe threshold is. It's 65 degrees outside, and it's 81 degrees in the car. I'm not planning to break into their car or call police at 81 degrees. Dogs play at the park safely in hotter weather than that.

mochapickle hit the nail on the head: "You just have to be sure that 1) The animal (or child!) is in imminent danger of death..."
posted by reeddavid at 12:53 PM on May 28, 2018 [3 favorites]

Forget charts. The best thing is just to monitor the dog, which it sounds like you're doing. There are real dangers to breaking into a car--in particular, that the terrified dog will run off and get killed or lost, defeating the whole point. I think people who have never had that kind of dog don't realize how quickly it can happen and how impossible it would be to get the dog back.
posted by HotToddy at 1:02 PM on May 28, 2018 [6 favorites]

Is there a store or stores on your street where the owners will likely be found? You could pop in and ask for an announcement to be made over the store PA system. (Even with the windows cracked, I'd be concerned if the animal sat in the car for much longer than the length of a 45-minute errand, and I'd have the same reservations about escalation that you're having.)

If the owners are shopping in an air-conditioned market, they will not have realized that the temperature's spiked.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:09 PM on May 28, 2018

Please don’t break into the car. Like HotToddy says, the dog could get hurt or run off or bite you or any number of negative outcomes. If the car is in the shade and the windows are partially open and there’s water in the car and the dog is not panting heavily or otherwise in a lot of distress, I’d just keep an eye out and do nothing, especially if it’s only 65 out. Interiors of houses are regularly 81+ in the summer, and folks leave dogs home with access to water. If it were 90+ out or the dog were in distress, I’d call the police or other authorities but definitely not try to break in myself (or even stick a hand inside the car) unless the dog looked like it might die without assistance in the next five minutes. I realize that not all dog owners are good dog owners, but a good dog owner will be checking on their dog, providing more water, moving the car for max shade, etc., every hour or so.
posted by bananacabana at 1:11 PM on May 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Offering the dog an ice cube to slurp on might not be a bad thing, if the dog seems amenable to being approached.
posted by praemunire at 1:49 PM on May 28, 2018

Response by poster: Just to follow up: the car has been moved, and so we can assume the do is safe. Thanks all!
posted by reeddavid at 2:26 PM on May 28, 2018 [15 favorites]

next time call the cops
posted by patnok at 5:29 PM on May 29, 2018 [1 favorite]