What's the longest you've left your pet in the car?
I know that in the summer there are always warnings about leaving pets in the car but any other time, how long to do you leave them?
I was parking my car at the mall this morning and the car next to mine had a golden-doodle (so cute!) who looks so sad that he was left behind! I wanted to play with him! It's not cold out so I wasn't worried about the dog's health but...Sigh...Sad doggies are so cute.
nectarine / 2530 posts
I do agility trials where people routinely (and safely) crate out of their cars -- only in decent weather, and with the hatches up so they get plenty of fresh air. I try to avoid situations where my dogs are in the car and I have to stop somewhere. For instance, I wouldn't take my dogs along just for the ride. If we do then they're snuggly in their crate in the back, and usually sleeping. If hot weather I always carry a spare key and leave the a/c running with the doors locked.
honeydew / 7916 posts
I take my dog with me all the time, as long as it's between 70 and 30 degrees outside. She has a sun shade and a doggy car seat, and if it's cooler I put a sweater or jacket on her or if it's warmer the window is open. I used to wonder if she didn't prefer the comfort of home, but she really does seem to prefer waiting in the car.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
I'll take them and leave them in the car for 15 minutes or less. I hate how sad they are when I leave them in the car so I don't do it often.
honeydew / 7504 posts
I've only ever left our cat in the car once, to run into the grocery store for less than 5 minutes to pick up baby food for her (we had to use chicken baby food to hide some pills). She was in her crate and it was probably 50-degrees. But even for that short amount of time, I felt terribly guilty!
bananas / 9973 posts
We do if the weather is cool enough and the windows are opened enough. We take road trips with our little dog quite often and have to leave her in the car while we go inside and grab some fast food/bathroom breaks. I'll leave her once in awhile for a quick grocery trip too. But only based on the weather. If not, I'll carry her in a bag with me or DH will stay with her outside.
bananas / 9118 posts
I have never understood this. I have seen pets die from this more times than I want to think about. Many owners don't seem to understand that a warm day and a fur coat can be lethal in a car. If the day is too hot and a pet looks overheated in a car, I happily call the police and report it.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I used to. Only during the fall/winter though. And not for longer than a few minutes. (when I was living in CA)
grapefruit / 4649 posts
I will do it for a few minutes if my dog is in the car anyway (pet store and doggy day care) but only if the weather permits and because my dog adores the car!
pomelo / 5073 posts
I've done this when I'm traveling alone and I really have to go to the bathroom. I time myself and she is never alone more than 2-3 minutes tops.
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
We used to take our dogs everywhere and sometimes even snuck them into restaurants in bags that looked like purses! We'd leave them in the car when we went to the grocery store and errands like that. Time to time we'd leave them in the car to go in and eat at a restaurant, but only if we could find a spot near a window and sit at that window so we could watch them the whole time.
Now that we have kids, the dogs stay at home almost all the time!
pomegranate / 3053 posts
In our state I think it's illegal to leave your dogs in the car. At least that's what I read when I first moved here over 8 years ago. But when I lived in San Francisco, I did leave my dog in my car with the windows and sunroof cracked but I don't think I ever left her for too long. Just long enough to run in and out of a store. The weather's always cool there so there's usually no heat risk except a few days out of the year. Now that my dog is 12 I never leave her in the car anymore. It causes too much stress for her. Plus, she stays home most of the time now that we have kids as well. Poor doggy...
grapefruit / 4817 posts
Never more than running into a convenience store or fast food. And I have auto start, so I leave the car running. I know way too many people whose dogs have eaten parts of their interior to leave her too long. But my husband has a dog box in his truck bed and will randomly take her to work when the weather's cool.
blogger / apricot / 427 posts
We do - but only if the weather is ok for it, and only for a quick trip in/out to a store.
I had the experience of seeing my childhood dog die from being left in a hot car by my mom and her boyfriend when I was younger. We had stopped at Yellowstone during a trip across country in the summertime and dogs obviously weren't allowed in the park. When we came back at the end of the day I found Smokey in the backseat....
That image was enough for me to know that dogs can die easily in cars, even if windows are cracked and water is left for them.
honeydew / 7586 posts
Rarely. Only if it is cool out and only for a few minutes. I have a Pug so I have to be especially careful of overheating.
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