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THE DAILY HERALD, June 7, 2002

Dear Editor:

We have all seen dogs and other companion animals who are left inside cars outside of stores while their well meaning guardians "run in for a few minutes."

What these otherwise caring people don't realize is that on a hot and humid day, the temperature inside a car rises very quickly. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. On warmer days, it will get even hotter. Every year in Summer, pets left in this situation suffer irreversible brain damage or death. 

Isa De Luca  

"Is it too hot to take my dog along today?" 

That's a question we need to ask ourselves every time we drive with a dog.

Warm weather can literally be a killer for a dog left inside a car. Did you know that on warm days, the inside of a car heats up very quickly? When it's 85 degrees out, the temperature inside a car even with the windows left slightly open can soar to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, and reach 120 degrees in just half an hour. On hotter days, the temperature will climb even higher. Outside temperatures in the 70s can be dangerous, as well. Even leaving your dog for "just a minute" may be too long. A dog's normal body temperature ranges from 101 to 102.5 degrees. Dogs can withstand a body temperature of 107 to 108 degrees for only a very short period of time before suffering brain damage or even death.  

It's not cool to leave your dog in a hot car. For more information, visit www.MyDogIsCool.com