Summer is a very special time to enjoy with our best friend, however, its temperatures may not be so special. Traveling in the car with a dog should always be done under a series of precautions and complying with the regulations but … your responsibilities do not end there: the dog should never be left alone in the parked car, it can be fatal.
Joining car and heat can be a very dangerous combination for the dog, if certain precautions are not taken. It is inside vehicles in summer that dangerous heat strokes that affect the animal are more common. To prevent them, avoid leaving the dog alone in the parked car , take precautions for short stays of the dog in the vehicle, remember that it does not cool as easily as people and lower the windows in a car without air conditioning.
According to the British NGO RPSCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), a dog can die from heatstroke in just 10-15 minutes, which is why “I go out for a moment to buy something and come back ”. In addition, there are times that although he is treated, he does not recover. Avoid leaving the animal in the car at all costs.
Heat strokes are more common when the animal is left alone in the car as it will get nervous and will not stop moving. For this reason, it is essential to avoid leaving the animal unaccompanied inside the car, even if it is parked in the shade and has a window open. There is no excuse.
It is very important that we understand that if the dog is inside a car parked in the sun in summer, the vehicle can become a death trap for the animal , since in a few minutes it will reach a very high temperature that can cause a stroke. hot. The vehicle in summer becomes a receptacle that stores and retains heat very easily. Sheet metal is a material that maintains temperature, especially when the car is stationary. When the temperature outside is 22ºC, the car inside can heat up in just one hour and reach almost 47ºC . From that moment on, your dog will be in real danger of death as the car will behave like an oven.
The dog does not refrigerate as easily as people
Our dog has a temperature of 39ºC in normal conditions, so it is a much higher temperature than ours. In the same way, we must point out that dogs do not sweat, so they have more difficulties to cool down than we do. For this reason, a car with a very high temperature is an important risk factor for the animal.
Specialists from the British NGO RPSCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) warn that dogs can suffer a heart attack caused by heat stroke when their body temperature is above 41ºC . And it is estimated that 50% of them do not survive it.
Therefore, when traveling, ventilation in the car is essential to ensure that the temperature does not rise more than what is recommended for the pet’s health. It is appropriate to operate the air conditioning in the vehicle at a temperature that is not too low (sudden changes in temperature are not appropriate for the dog). The appropriate thing would be about 24ºC-25ºC .
We must also emphasize that how and when heat affects dogs (more or less quickly) depends a lot on their breed and the conditions innate to it . The most affected are usually the largest specimens , also those that have a lot of hair and those that belong to breeds such as bulldogs, which can have respiratory difficulties (all this collected by official RPSCA data).
All this is included in article 337 and article 631
In addition to the health of our pet, we must understand that there are extensive regulations on this. This type of act would be included in article 337 , which stipulates that animal abuse of any kind is punishable. This would count as abandonment or mistreatment of the animal, as stipulated. Anyone who violates this rule faces imprisonment for between three months and one year. In addition, the fine for leaving a pet locked in the car can amount to 30,000 euros. The offenses considered less serious will be fined with amounts between 500 and 2,000 euros. The minor ones between 75 and 500 euros. Specifically in this article it says “whoever by any means or procedure unjustifiably mistreats a domestic or tamed animal, causing death or injuries that seriously undermine its health, will be punished with the penalty of three months to one year in prison and special disqualification from one to three years for the exercise of profession, trade or trade related to animals ”.
Likewise, this is included in article 631, which states that “Those who abandon a domestic animal in conditions that could endanger its life or integrity will be punished with a fine of fifteen days to two months.”
The Penal Code does not establish the prohibition in any case of transporting animals in the car and neither leaving a dog in a vehicle as long as this action is safe and does not pose any danger to their health or life.
Although there is no explicit DGT traffic legislation on this matter, you can find more information in Law 32/2007, of November 7 , for the care of animals, in their exploitation, transport, experimentation and sacrifice.
But… And if we see a dog in the car, what should we do? In recent years a false theory has leaked through social networks that we can break the window in that case, that is not true. We cannot break a car window, but we can notify a relevant authority to do so without legal consequences.
If you find an animal in a car and you think it is in danger, what you should do is call 091 immediately . Once the police assess the situation, they can act in two ways: trying to locate the owner of the vehicle to open the car and remove the animal, or, otherwise, they will be the ones who break the glass and free the animal.
In case the dog is in danger, the owner can be reported for animal abuse, as explained by the National Police.
So, we insist, this summer act wisely for the good of our animals . Excuses and “it’s five minutes” are not valid. The number of animals killed in cars has risen dramatically in recent years. Let us become aware of the dangers it generates and that the car can be a death trap for our best friend.
