Is it against the law to leave a dog in a car under any circumstances??

[trifintol]

Does anyone know if it is against the law to leave a dog in a car - even at 9am, in the shade, in a cool, well air-conditioned car, with the window open a few inches, for 10 minutes?? I did this while taking my little boy into nursery and a lady threated to call the police! She told me I was breaking the law - surely not?

[craft1948]

well I must be guilty as well trifintol 'cos my dog always sits in the car when I go to the library.........you can tell when he's had enough 'cos he starts tooting the horn....I jest not

[sn�gs]

trifintol.. you should have set your dog on her...

[gossipgirl]

i wouldve told her to mind her own bloody buisness, its not like you went off shopping or anything leaving the dog in there all day.

[oldmaggie]

Even in the shade with the windows open a few inches after driving with air conditioning a car rapidly heats up. You are not breaking the law but leaving any animal in a car even just for a few minutes while we are in the middle of this heatwave could be construed as reckless neglect for the animals welfare

[BeatySwalls]

hmmm interesting question. do you have a dvd player in your car?

[trifintol]

No............!?? (He does like listening to the radio though!)

[paraffin]

Hi trifintol:
There is no actual law against leaving a dog in a car per se. Therefore, to put it in polite terms, it sounds like this lady was "bluffing".

[BeatySwalls]

ok what sound system do you have in the car?

[jules77]

This should answer your question.

http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?page name=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=FAQs&articleId=111 6592340954&topic=1112958900065&subtopic=111295 8900114&previousPage=null

Note - Owners who put an animal at risk by leaving it inside a locked car could face prosecution.

[mrrand]

Seeing as your dog was in a cool car in the shade doesn't sound like you were putting him at risk not a problem.

[woofgang]

at 9 am here in hampshire this morning it would have been too hot to leave a dog in the car for 10 minutes even in the shade. The air conditioning is irrelevant as it very soon loses effect after being switched off.

[jules77]

I know someone who left their dog for less than 5 minutes, in similar circumstances, the dog died at the vets a few hours later. It only takes 15 minutes for the dog to get brain damage, and if there is any sun on the car metal it will turn the car into an oven. Short snouted dogs like pugs, bulldogs, and mastiffs etc overheat much quicker.

Apart from anything else, the dog is a target for thieves.

[daffy654]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghams hire/8129826.stm

I wonder if this officer will face prosecution?

[NoMercy]

Did the car feel baking hot when you got back inside it?

[Nosha123]

If I saw a dog alone left in a car in this weather - even parked in the shade - I wouldnt think twice about calling someone for help.
If the dog was panting - I would smash the window and break into your car to get it out.

Is it really worth losing your pet for a few minutes of inconvenience? Why could the dog not go with you - or stay at home? Why ferry him about in your car in a heatwave????

[coccinelle]

There might have been a problem if the 10 minutes due to unforeseen circumstances became a lot longer; I wouldn't risk it if I were you.

[trifintol]

To NoMercy - the car was still really cool. I asked the lady to come and feel the temperature in the car but she declined.
To Nosha123 and Coccinelle - he wasn't panting at all, he was barking because he has a problem being separated from me. My neighbour tells me he barks continuously at home when I am out doing the school run and does not stop til I get back! He and I are very close (the dog not the neighbour!) and I thought it was kinder to bring him with me in the car because then he is happy and feels included. At first I took him out of the car and tied him up outside the nursery and of course he wouldn't stop barking while I was taking my son in, changing his shoes etc. I thought if I leave him in the car for very short periods then I train him to be away and knows I am back in a minute. I would never ever leave him in a hot car and would not do anything I felt was putting him in danger. What should I do???

[B00]

If he's going to bark his head off no matter what you do or where you take him, I'd leave him at home. Sure he might annoy your neighbour, but Its better that than a dead/dying dog in your car.

[daffy654]

There are ways of training a dog not to bark if you can be bothered to look into it and pay a behaviourist to help.
I am also a neighbour of a dog that barks continuously when the owners are out and it drives me to tears some days.

[sparkler]

yeah I've got to say I wouldn't take the chance either! It's way to easy to be distracted by children at the best of times, so if your child had gell over and hurt himself pretty badly on the way to the nursery door your instinct is to tend to your childs needs immediatley and not to run back to your car to sort the dog out! Could you not explain to your neighbour that in this weather it's safer to leave the dog at home even if he is barking? I no some people are a nightmare when it comes to dogs, but surely they'd understand!