Soaring heat makes it extra risky to leave pets in cars

As temperatures rise across the county, so does the risk of serious harm to animals left in hot vehicles — even if just for a brief stopover.
The San Diego Humane Society responded to 85 calls of animals left in hot cars last month — a number that is expected to continue to increase as the months get hotter. Weekends such as this can be particularly dangerous, with an excessive heat warning in San Diego’s inland valleys and temperatures reaching the upper 90s.
Pet owners may just be leaving their animals in a car with cracked windows for a few minutes as they buy groceries or book an appointment, but the internal temperature of a car can quickly reach unsafe levels. On an 80-degree day, a car can heat up to 120 degrees, according to the Humane Society.
Common symptoms of animal distress include excessive drooling, heavy panting, a deep red or purple color on their tongues, and vomit or diarrhea near the animal, according to San Diego Humane Society Sgt. Samantha Jauregui.
Animals’ higher internal temperatures exacerbate the risk of overheating, said Lt. Talia Padilla, supervising animal control officer for the county’s Department of Animal Services.
“It’s typical for an animal to run at 101, 102 degrees — that’s considered a healthy temperature for them,” Padilla said. “So with that, on top of their fur coats that they’re wearing, they are so much more susceptible to heat-related illnesses and potentially death in many more cases than we may be aware of.”
California’s bipartisan Assembly Bill 797, passed in 2016, allows good Samaritans to break into a vehicle to save a struggling pet, as long as the car cannot be opened any other way, the animal is in imminent danger and excessive force is not used. The citizen must also contact law enforcement and stay with the animal until first responders arrive. However, law enforcement is often called in to save animals by less intrusive means.
“If we’re unable to (contact the owner) and we have determined that the animal only has minutes to get out of that vehicle before it starts reaching critical levels and/or the animal itself starts to show signs of distress, we will make entry as easily as possible,” Jauregui said.
Officers have kits that can open up the vehicle but prevent glass from shattering, which could put the animal in further danger. The pets are then transported in an air-conditioned kennel upon rescue.
Pet owners can be charged with a crime, up to a felony, for severe cases of animal endangerment, such as death by heat exhaustion. However, Jauregui said the San Diego Humane Society’s primary goal is to ensure animal safety through education.
“We’re not here to reprimand animal owners for mistakes made,” Jauregui said. “We must be the entity that enforces the law, but if we can form a strong bond with the community and use our strengths and education to prevent these circumstances from happening, that is the ultimate goal.”
Both organizations recommend owners leave pets at home with ample water and shade rather than in a car with an open window. If it’s necessary to bring your pet with you, Jauregui recommends bringing the pet indoors or having a passenger stay with the animal in an air-conditioned vehicle.
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