Good for YOU! At least she knows someone cares.

She's lucky no one called the police. Sometime you think you're only going to be gone for one minute and it turns into 10 or 15. Best not to take the dog with you no matter how much he loves to go for a ride. If you're so worried about disappointing the dog, go do your errands, come home, put the dog in the car and ride around the block a couple of times.

My dog goes with me most places :-) But when the temps start routinely to stay above 75F, he stays home.

Something similar happened to me. Not anywhere that hot (low 70's) and I was early to visit a friend up the street so I made a quick stop at Marshall's. I was in the store not longer than 10-15 minutes and when I came out, there was a cop waiting for me......someone had called 9-1-1!! btw, my dog was quite happily curled up snoozing on the seat - not overheated, not panting - just waiting patiently for me to return, as he always does. And I always leave the windows open for him....even in winter.

The cop was very nice, almost apologetic. He just said that when someone calls 9-1-1, they have to investigate but the caller was clearly over-reacting. He could see the dog was not in any kind of distress.

Good for you, putting her on the spot. Some people are too ignorant to take proper care of pets.

I had a friend who lost a dog due to heat stroke while locked in a car, and the outside temp was low 70s.

I just can't understand, for the life of me, why people keep leaving pets and children locked in cars in the summer. This is not news. Haven't you ever gotten in your car and noticed how stinking HOT it is after being in the sun for just a few moments?

I just don't understand. What a horrible way to go, for a child or a pet. :(

There's a lit highway sign in my area that is an alert:

It is hot, check before you lock for children and pets

My husband hated for car windows to be rolled down and even at 50F when parked where the sun shines on it the temperature can be enough for a human to become over heated. Just lowering the windows a couple of inches does nothing. You can easily test this by simply parking in a sunny location and seeing how warm your vehicle goes from comfortable to much to hot even when the windows are down even three or four inches.

Why do people need to take dogs places? Seriously asking the question.

I’ve had dogs all my life, they stayed home when I was out running errands.

I do take my dog along frequently, mostly because he needs the socialization experiences. That said, he only come along when I'm going to stores that welcome pets. He stays home if I need to make stops that he can't come in the store with me.

Good for you Glenda. And I agree, if you aggravated her, so be it.

I wouldn’t try to find the owner, period! Let the police officer who responds to my 911 call do that.

It would have taken longer with a 911 call vs going in store. Curb parking right in front of store, which would have been quicker, if the owner had not walked out as I was going in. She was parked right next to me.

At least as dangerous and possibly more dangerous for dogs is to ride untethered in a car. You see this more frequently, sometimes every day,and 365 days of the year.

The only safe ways for a dog to ride in a car is fastened by a harness with very little slack to a seatbelt on the back seat, on the floor of the back seat, or in the rear compartment with a steel mesh grate separating it from the rest of the car. Otherwise, if the car stops short or is hit, the dog becomes an unsecured object and will often hit the windshield at a fast speed.

You often see little dogs untethered in RVs too. Imagine how far the dog can fly before hitting the windshield or a bulkhead. Whether in a car or an RV, such incidents are often fatal for the dog.

If you don't believe me, ask your vet what sad situations they've seen. It's very sad and so easily prevented.

Riding in the front seat or the driver's lap? Oh man, don't get me started on how stupid that is.

Coming home from an appointment with my mom, I called ahead to Panera to order lunch for pick-up. Mom has Parkinson’s and it can take 15 minutes to get out of the car into the store, so I left her in the car with the AC on. In, grab the bag from the shelf, and out. In under 60 seconds she had locked the car doors. She has dementia related to the Parkinson’s and Couldn’t unlock the doors, and couldn’t follow my instructions. Just before I panicked I remembered I had a second car key in my purse and I got in. I didn’t realize until that moment just how far she’d gone, and she could have put the car in gear!

We found a dog in a car on a very hot day at an outdoor mall area. I was with my daughter and another mother/daughter pair noticed too. We were discussing the dog and decided to call the local police department after waiting about 15 minutes and still no stupid owners came out of the store. They told me to call the humane society...who didn't answer the phone. Finally the stupid people came out and the other woman with us told the people we had called the police. (which we did but they weren't coming). They took off quickly. Your dog doesn't enjoy sitting in a hot car while you shop or eat in a restaurant. I'll never understand people.

I never took my dogs shopping with me. I would have found them ( even one ) distracting while I was driving. Also...I don't know that they would be socializing if they never left the car. I hear dogs barking at passers-by in the parking lots. I am not so sure those dogs are happy?

My cousin took his dog with him to the store one day and came out and discovered that the dog chewed up the dashboard, console and the corner of the seat. HUGE repair bill!

I forgot to say - if you think your dog needs socialization, or maybe you mean to say stimulation to break up an otherwise boring day - take it for a walk on a busy street with lots going on (good for the owner too), take it to a dog park, take it on a hike, arrange play dates with other dogs you know.

Dogs don't belong in stores. Lots of people are allergic to dogs and othesr don't like dogs - be considerate by taking your dog to only to dog-places.

Until this summer, my dogs traveled with me every summer for my vacation. Being gone a month, I did not want to board them or have a pet sitter - I wanted them with me. It was a 3 day drive, to in late June, home in late July.

My dogs have always ridden in crates. I prefer the mesh kind with aluminum frames. They are far cooler for the dog and give them a "room with a view" as well. Obviously, on a 3 day drive, I do need to leave the car for a few minutes to go to the bathroom, and sometimes to go inside to get a carry-out order of food. My car has a very large sunroof with a mesh roof inside the glass. I open it fully as well as roll down the windows a few inches. The mesh allows air in and out and shields from the sun Heat rises so much goes right out that roof. If there is shade, I park under it. I always sit a few minutes in it to see if it's too hot, as well.

Another thing I do is post a laminated sign on the windshield going my mobile phone number, and a statement that I will be gone fewer than 5 minutes. I do NOT need someone whose intentions are good, breaking out a window in my car!!! No one has ever called so I think the fact that the sunroof is open (but shielded) and the card on the windshield have reassured those who are concerned about my dogs.

BTW, they are always still curled up sleeping when I return. They know the drill...

I agree with Maddielee and Elmer regarding taking pets on everyday errands, but i also understand circumstances like Anglo points out when owners need to travel long distance with a pet. In those cases I presume they are restrained or crated and steps are taken for breaks and walks as needed, as Anglo has described.

Glenda, good for you for paying attention to the dog that appeared in distress on a hot day.

One of the best features of DD's new car is Pet Mode. You can leave the a/c on (controlled remotely) and a flashing sign on the dashboard says "Don't worry. My owner is coming back and the A/C is on ___ degrees."

I know I aggravated a woman today, because she was very pi$$y. A neighbor called to ask if I would run her to the bank and grocery store becasue her truck's in the shop. I'd been mowing grass and didn't take time to clean up, so I waited in the car. It was really hot, but since I didn't know how long the neighbor would be in the store (last time it was 45 minutes), I just rolled down the windows and didn't leave the car running.

A young woman pulled into the parking space next to my car, between my car and the store. I glanced that direction, noted that she was blond, with sun glasses, and didn't pay much attention as she got out and walked into the store. After a couple of minutes I looked back toward the store to see if the neighbor was ready, and happened to see a little hand raise above the car door. I thought, "Oh no, she left a child in the car." I turned to get a better look, and there were four children in the car--one in the front seat and three in the back. They looked to be between the ages of 2-8, and the one in the front looked about 4 or 5. He wasn't in a booster seat, but two of the little ones in the back were in car seats.

The windows were up in their car, but I thought I could hear the car running, so I just kept an eye on them--if I'd seen any signs of distress I'd have called 911. The little boy in the front started going through the console between the seats. He pulled out a handful of condoms and started waving them around. Then he pulled out a large prescription pill bottle with a dark substance in it. He found something brown that looked like plug tobacco. He was showing everything to the kids in the back seat, so I got a good look. Finally he found a disposable lighter, and leaned over the back seat to wave it in front of the oldest kid's face.

I'd seen enough. I got out of my car and as I was leaning over to knock on the window, I could see the older kid grabbing for the lighter. He missed, and the imp in the front seat turned around just in time to hear me knock, and say, "Put the lighter down and leave it alone, or I'm going to call someone." I don't know if the kids in the back could hear me, but I told them it was OK--I didn't want to scare any of them, but I wanted them to stop playing with the lighter.

stood leaning against my care where they could see me until the young woman returned, after about 10 minutes. When she saw me standing there, looking at her kids, I'm sure she expected me to give her a lecture, and when I told her about the little one having the lighter she got very defensive and said that her oldest child was 10, so it was OK to leave him in charge, and asked me if the lighter was lit. It wasn't, but I didn't give the kids time to try to light it before I intervened. She said the little one couldn't flick the lighter to make a flame, and when I told her I hoped not, she held up her cell phone and took my picture. She said she worked in law enforcement in the next county, and I could go right ahead and call the police, she knew the law. No "Thank you for looking out for my kids, I'll take care of it." Just an attitude. I got her license plate number as she pulled away, but I doubt it would do any good to call her employer, and I hadn't planned to call the police as long as the kids weren't in distress. I just hope she thinks twice before leaving them alone again.

Whew! Glenda, I'm sorry to hijack your thread, but I feel better! Just yesterday I read that 15 children have died in hot cars already this year. What's wrong with people?

Eighteen states have made it a crime to leave a pet unattended in a hot car and allow "reasonable force" in order to rescue an animal left unattended. So in those states, you're allowed to do a lot more than aggravate the owner...you can bust the animal out of the car.

Good for you, Glenda! More people need to step up to help those who can't help themselves, whether that's small children or four legged critters.

I was at Costco yesterday and heard a dog barking wildly. After loading my groceries in the car, I walked towards the sound of the barking to check it out. I was prepared to either alert the Costco people or call the police, but it turned that out there was an adult in the car with the dog. Why they were putting up with the barking is beyond me.

A woman was arrested here yesterday for having 3 dogs in a hot car at a hotel. One was dead. another needed an emergency vet and didn't make it, and the third will hopefully survive. She claimed she checked them at 6:30 am. Someone called the police around 9 am.

Should have called the police. Even if they left they'd get a visit from a squad. It doesn't take long for injury at those temps in an enclosed vehicle.

While I know my response will be very unpopular, please think twice before calling 911 for a dog in a car. 911 is for life and death PEOPLE emergencies in most places. Meaning heart attacks and house fires. Whenever 911 lines are tied up, it delays life saving help to people that need it most. 911 lines are answered as a first priority.

I understand that many deem an animals life to be as important as a humans, but consider that cpr on a loved one could be delayed by calling 911 for an animal. Or worse yet, a house could burn with people inside while taking a call for an animal.

Again, I know this will be unpopular, but I’ve seen this happen. Delayed help for a person not breathing due to lines being tied up for things like this.

911 calls are prioritized. They do not respond in calling order but by urgency. A caller might be told to take action themselves in rescuing the dog.

It probably is a good idea to add the local police non-emergency number into your cellphone. But if I were outside my locality, I wouldn't know who to call. Is there a better way to get help?

My local area tells people to call 911 for dogs in hot cars. I guess they've figured out how to prioritize calls.

Sometimes police come, sometimes they hand off the call to the humane society. Perhaps they could help summershines municipality learn how to best respond.

Actually, I’m very happy to know that 911 is reserved for people emergencies in my area and do not see a need to change this.

I would much rather see a human get the emergency care they need first and foremost.

the police will respond to calls such as this but they are not emergencies.

A child drowning, a house fire, a rape, an abduction, etc are emergencies.