WATCH: Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey and Best Friend K9 Junny Educate Citizens on Leaving Dogs in Hot Cars
By Wayne Ivey, Brevard County Sheriff // June 26, 2018
On a 78-degree day, temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes
WATCH: Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey and his best friend K9 Junny educate the citizens of Brevard County on the gangers of leaving your dogs in an unattended hot vehicle. (BCSO image)
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Every year, hundreds of dogs suffer and die when their guardians make the mistake of leaving them in a parked car even for “just a minute”— while they run an errand.
Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs.
On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes.
Parked Cars are Fast-Acting Deathtraps for Dogs
On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees mere minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.
Most animal lovers are aware of these swift and potentially fatal consequences, but ignorance, neglect, or poor judgment calls still occur, even among trained professionals.
Our best hope for eliminating this tragic trend is to increase awareness, pledge to spread the knowledge and to act if we see any animal left alone in an unattended vehicle.
Dogs have a normal body temperature range of 100.5 to 102.5. When the dogs’ temperature reaches 104 degrees dogs begin to show signs of heatstroke such as an extremely rapid pulse and diminished coordination.
When the body temperature of a dog reaches 104 to 107 degrees, heatstroke and death are imminent. At 109 degrees your dog will start to experience organ failure.
in 2016, Florida made it legal to break into a locked vehicle to rescue a pet or human in imminent danger of suffocation or other harm.
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However, Sheriff Ivey advises that you follow these simple steps before actually breaking into a vehicle to rescue a dog
- make sure the vehicle is actually locked
- Call 911 or law enforcement immediately before or after breaking into the vehicle
- Use only “that” necessary to break in
- Be careful not to injure yourself or the pet inside with broken glass
- Remain with the animal until first responders arrive
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