Dogs in cars.

[boognish76]

Is it illegal to leave a dog unattended in a car at any time, regardless of the weather? I thought this law was passed a couple of years ago, but I can't find any info to confirm this. Even the RSPCA website just has guidelines relating to hot weather but says nothing about the law.

[Toffee]

I thought it was a question of degree as to what amounts to cruelty. I think the situation is similar with children but the concept of neglect comes into it, and it's neglect which could foreseeably lead to harm. I don't know whether the test is similar with animals, but the concepts of neglect and cruelty are not dissimilar.

[worder]

it should be. something awful happened here in New Bern. a police officer left Ciro the k-nine while he had gone to court for 2 hours only to find that the dog was dead. he had been left with the ac running, but it apperas it malfunctioned causing the death. according to the chief, the officer was following official procedure, but i still think it is inhumane to leave an animal for any period of time, especially in hot weather. one, they are part of the family, two, you get more loyalty from a dog than from most people; three, i would not do that to a person, it is so inconsiderate. people here are trying to justify the officer for following procedure, i say procedure my grandmother! now, some kids in town organized a car wash fund raiser to buy a hot-dog device which alerts of dangerous temperatures. i think it costs about 500 dollars. i beleive they a couple more for the others police dogies. why is it that someone has to die before we move a finger?

[savraj_uk]

It's cruelty. Think about this-having a fur coat on in a hot car-that's what it's like for dogs in a baking hot car. It's also illegal to leave a dog in the car without windows open and a large amount of water. I should know, I have a dog. If you're going somewhere where you have to leave your dog in car, leave your dog at home with plenty of clean, cool, fresh water.

[blank]

i think the law is only enforced if an animal is reported to the police or rspca and is obviously in distress and as i am lead to believe most cases are not prosecuted. much to my dissapointment, these people should be given comunity service at an animal welfare kennels and they can see exactly what damage their neglect causes, on a hot day even 5 mins can be too long.

[woofgang]

Lets calm down and think a bit here,in England it isn't illegal to leave your dog in a car with the windows shut,think about winter when the poor thing would freeze or get soaked. I leave my dog in the car, windows ajar in the shade at 8 am in the morning with no ill effects, not even panting, but only for about 20 mins and where I know that the shade will not vanish as the sun moves. Worder, assuming that the AC requires the car engine to be running, I am amazed that the cop was allowed to leave his car unnattended with the engine running. As Toffee points out, what is illegal is cruelty (either deliberate or unwitting)and as i understand it, now english police can intervene at the point of "behaviour likely to lead to" rather than waiting until actual suffering has occurred, And a good thing too.