The mission of My Dog is Cool is to save dogs from dying in hot cars by keeping them cool.
The number one excuse we hear for leaving a dog in a parked car is “I was only gone for a few minutes.” But did you know that a dog can experience irreversible brain damage and even death in a hot car in as little as 10 to 15 minutes? And cracking those windows doesn’t help!
A South Carolina woman left these two adorable dogs in a hot car all day while she was at work all day. Luckily they were rescued and she was charged.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), leaving windows slightly open does not significantly decrease the rising heat rate. And heat inside a car can rise very quickly! NOAA reported that the temperature inside a vehicle can rise almost 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, rapidly turning your vehicle into a death trap for children or animals left inside. It’s called the Greenhouse Effect.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, outside temperatures in the 60s can still cause a car temperature to rise well above 110 degrees (43 Celsius) and this can be life threatening to your dog, who can’t sweat or handle the heat like we humans can.
It’s no stretch to think of leaving your dog in a parked car the same as leaving him in a microwave oven. When a dog is left in a hot car, he is literally cooking from the inside out.
In a hot, closed car, your dog’s blood can thicken to the point that his heart will be in severe stress, trying to pump the abnormally thick blood through the blood vessels. The result is stagnation of blood, blood clotting and eventual death of tissues. Highly active cells such as your dog’s brain, intestinal and liver cells are at greatest risk for heat trauma which is why irreversible brain damage is such a concern. A veterinarian who has performed autopsies on dogs that died in hot cars reported that the organs are “soupy.” And damage can happen hours or even days after the animal is removed from the hot car.
So remember, when you park the car, don’t park the dog, too! Play it cool and leave your dog safe at home – not in a hot car!