As the heat of summer comes upon us, Animal Care & Control is reminding pet owners of the dangers of leaving pets in parked cars when the temperature rises.
Leaving pets unattended in hot cars can be deadly. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the temperature inside a parked car on a warm day can reach 120 degrees in minutes. Even on a moderate, 84-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle with the windows "cracked" reaches 90 degrees after five minutes, 97 degrees after 10 minutes, and 101 degrees after just 15 minutes. These temperatures can be dangerous or even deadly to pets.
Most people don't realize just how hot it gets inside a parked car, and how quickly the temperature reaches dangerous levels, even with the windows partially open. Animal Control Officers respond daily to calls of animals in distress after being left in parked cars, often during a "quick trip" into a store.
Heat is especially hard on dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paws. With only hot air to breathe, dogs and other animals can suffer irreparable brain damage and even die of heatstroke. Signs of heat exhaustion include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite, dark tongue, rapid pulse, fever, vomiting, glazed eyes, dizziness, or lack of coordination.
What to do if you see a pet left unattended in a parked car on a warm day:
•Record pertinent information about the vehicle (make, model, color and license plate number) along with its exact location.
•Report this information to the store/mall manager and ask that the owner of the pet be paged immediately.
•If the owner is not located, call Animal Control at 703-777-0406.
•If possible, stay until law enforcement arrives so that you can help them locate the car quickly.
Help keep pets safe and cool all summer long - keep them at home!
NOTE:
The Laws Pertaining to the State of Virginia and Loudoun County are as follows:
612.25 CONFINEMENT OF ANIMALS IN VEHICLES PROHIBITED.
(a) Any person who confines an animal in an unattended, enclosed vehicle where the outside temperature is 70 degrees or greater, and the interior of the vehicle is not provided with conditioned air to maintain an internal temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or less, shall be guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.
(b) Any person who confines an animal in an unattended, enclosed vehicle so as to cause the animal to suffer from heat stress, shall be guilty of a Class I misdemeanor. The Animal Control Officer or other officer shall have the authority to remove any animal found in an enclosed vehicle that appears to be suffering from heat stress. The animal shall be provided immediate veterinary care. The animal owner or custodian shall be
responsible for all expenses incurred during the removal of the animal or its subsequent treatment and impoundment.
(c) In the event that the person responsible for the violation cannot be ascertained, the registered owner of the vehicle, as required by Chapter 6 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that such registered owner was the person who committed the violation
