A couple in Waltham, MA left their 3 year old  french bulldog in a hot car for over a half hour while they were at the shopping mall.  They called the police when they returned to their car  and found she was “limp and unconscious”.

When police arrived at the scene, the dog was taken to Watertown Animal Hospital. Doctors tried to revive her but failed.

A doctor told police that the dog’s temperature was in excess of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Normal body temperature for dogs ranges from 100.5 to 102.5 F.

The couple told the police they took their dog with them because they were afraid she would pee in the house if left home alone.  If you’re not intelligent enough to know to buy your dog a crate rather than putting her in an unattended hot car you should not be allowed to own animals.  Let’s just hope these people don’t have children.

Animal Control Officer Karen O’Reilly said causing an animal to be subjected to unnecessary cruelty or suffering is a felony in Massachusetts, and is punishable by imprisonment for up to two and a half years and a fine of $2,500.

With any luck, this couple will have the next 912 days behind bars to think about that fateful decision.

Since we are in the dog days of summer, no pun intended, this is article is both timely and useful.  Kim Grant shows us how to keep our best friends safe with some good advice.

With summer here, dog owners are taking their canine companions everywhere — parks, beaches, flea markets, outdoor restaurants, festivals, vacations, hiking and boating. Though it’s great to be outdoors, remember to protect your pet from the sun and heat.

Although most humans use sunscreen, a lot of us don’t realize how important it is for our pets too.

While bubblegum pink is the trendy color for canine couture this season, a pink nose, ears and belly can be painful. Yes pets can get sunburn just like humans.

For dogs, protect the nose and belly, which tend to turn bright pink from the sun, and other areas where fur is thin. Cats can benefit as well by applying to their nose and tips of ears. Talk with your veterinarian to find out which sunscreen is best for your pet.

Read all her great tips so you and your buddy will have a fun and safe summer.

Guest blogger Stacie Tamaki is a Dogster member and guardian of Kitai. We encourage you to follow her example and report dogs left in hot cars. By taking just a couple of minutes to inform a security guard or call the police, you could save a life.

In California it is now illegal to leave a dog in a hot car. In 2006 Gov. Schwarzenegger signed SB 1806:

“SB 1806 makes it a crime for a person to leave a pet unattended in a vehicle in a way that endangers the well-being of the animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering or death. Unless the animal suffers great bodily injury, a first misdemeanor conviction for this crime is punishable by a fine of $100 or less per animal. If the animal suffers great bodily injury, the punishment is a fine of $500 or less, a sentence of up to six months in county jail, or both. A person convicted of felony animal cruelty is subject to a fine of $20,000 or less, time in state prison, or both.”

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Protect Pets from Overheating in Vehicles

The bill was passed in 2006 and became a law in 2007. Last year I saw a police officer at a mall and because he was waiting for his partner to get a cup of coffee I approached him and asked if they had ever used the law yet. He was really nice and said he had heard there was a law but no, he had not responded to an incident of a dog in danger at that point in time.

He didn’t know the specifics of the law, so it may be a good idea, if you live in California, to make a copy of the statute or the article at the link above to show the police if you ever see a dog in distress and they are reluctant to do anything about it.

I find the place I most often see dogs in parked cars is at the mall, in which case I contact mall security to let them know. Even if the sun isn’t on the car at that moment, we all know that could change if the car remains for an extended period of time. Last year I called them 3 times, and for the record, none had the air conditioning running.

For those who live in states that don’t have this type of law, you could always forward a copy to your legislators and ask them to pass a similar bill where you live.

For great tips on keeping your dog heat-safe, check out our Vet Blog and today’s blog post by John Woestendiek of The Baltimore Sun.