A dog died in a hot car in Rifle: Here’s how to keep that from happening to your pet

A dog died in a hot car in Rifle the last weekend in June, the Rifle Police Department reported on July 4.

Garfield County Emergency Communications received a phone call from someone crying; she said that there was a dog locked in a car, and that it appeared to be dead.

The caller gave dispatchers the address and license plate and said she would wait nearby.

The officers responded to the scene and verified that the dog was dead. They soon located the dog owner, who said that she had been visiting with someone inside the house and lost track of time. She said she had planned to take her dog on a hike after her visit and insisted that she had left the motor running with the air conditioning on high.

But an hour and forty-five minutes later, when the officers arrived, the motor was no longer running.

The RPD says this horrible tragedy is easily preventable. Pet owners may think they can run errands in just a few minutes, but the reality is that it often takes much longer and leaves pets in peril. Their advice: leave your dog at home and take a few extra minutes out of your day driving to and from your house as needed.

Dogs specifically are in great danger, says RPD. They can’t tolerate high temperatures for as long as their human owners can. Panting is dogs’ primary method of temperature control, which is far less effective than what humans can do: sweat. A dog’s normal temperature falls between 101 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Permanent brain damage begins to occur when their internal temperature reaches 105.8 degrees, and organs begin to fail at 107 degrees. 50% of dogs who initially survive heat exhaustion will eventually die of complications; those that do survive will be more susceptible to heat exhaustion in the future.

Take a look at the table RPD provided below. It tracks how the initial outside temperature will increase in a car’s interior over time.

0 minutes 70 75 80 85 90 95
10 minutes 89 94 99 104 109 114
20 minutes 99 104 109 114 119 124
30 minutes 104 109 114 119 124 129
40 minutes 108 113 118 123 128 133
50 minutes 111 116 121 126 131 136
60 minutes 113 118 123 128 133 138
> 1 hour 115 120 125 130 135 140

Lastly, RPD has a few myths to debunk.

Leaving the windows open doesn’t keep the vehicle from heating up. Leaving water for your dog may keep it hydrated but it doesn’tt prevent heat exhaustion. Parking in the shade may keep the temperature down a little, but it can still easily heat up beyond a dog’s tolerance. Leaving the air-conditioning and motor running doesn’t guarantee your dog’s safety. The car can overheat and stall when the engine gets too hot, and newer cars are even designed to shut off before this happens. Both scenarios will cause the air conditioning to stop. Even if you think your dog is just panting when your return to your car, it may be suffering internal damage which can present days or weeks later.

In short: it’s not worth the risk. If you don’t need to take your dog with you this summer, leave it at home.