Dogsey

With regards to comments on the News section - I think it is good and beneficial to have comments, opinions and discussion surrounding the articles - they are topical after all, so of interest to us, so I see it as a good thing to get people's viewpoints, whatever those views are and whether 'for' or 'against'.

I am sure that members here use circumspection when leaving their dogs in cars and monitor carefully.

However, the article highlights a really important issue. Every year we hear about dogs dying horribly, left in cars in the heat, so a reminder doesn't hurt.

Julie...I think you will find the RSPCA will and do break into cars if they deem it necessary , whether you think it's unnecessary is immaterial .

I had dogs in the UK for about 30 yrs and never lived in a house where it was hotter inside it than it was in my car.

I rail against people who leave dogs at home alone all day while they work full time. But to me that's a hell of a lot better than leaving them confined to the small area of a CAR while you are at work.

And why do you have to take your dogs shopping with you? I've never done that. Not unless the dog was in the car with me anyway and I stopped to nip out for a packet of fags - maximum 5 mins away.

People still (unbelievably) leave their KIDS in cars while they go into shops. Or leave their babies in a car on the drive outside their house if the baby is asleep.

Cars can catch on fire you know! Look it up. While you are at it - look up the dangers of leaving dogs in cars even in weather YOU don't think is too hot for you outside the car. Or even in it. You can sweat and are not wearing a fur coat.

A dog doesn't have to DIE for it to suffer from being cooped in a car in hot weather. Those that do were OBVIOUSLY suffering.

Read about what happens to them as they overheat.

Same as dehydration even for people. You don't have to DIE from it to suffer from the effects of it.

One of those times when I wish dogs could speak. Hey Rover - how'd you like to be shut in the car all day today while I am at work? Car park is under shade. How interesting is that for a dog.

Comes somewhat BELOW being tied up in a yard. IMHO.

Yard = here's your 'world' maybe 30m square if you are lucky

Car = here's your 'world' maybe 6ft by 6ft if you are lucky

Yes they do and only to people who have not been sensible about how long and where they park, and I would agree they should. But why would they do it to a car where the dogs are fine ? I think they could find themselves in hot water if they went around willy nilly breaking into cars which is why they don't.

That was to previous poster.

But to Tang, perhaps you didn't live in my flat where it does get very hot in the summer, perhaps you can leave your dog at home when you work everytime. I can't. And shopping. well unless we don't eat when we are on holiday we have to go shopping and unless we leave them tied in the nearest layby they have to stay in the camper or the car. We don't have much choice.

Julie correct me if I am wrong but aren't you the member that said YOU lived in your car, while pregnant, and with your partner AND dogs for some time?

If I am right about recalling that. I will now withdraw from discussing this with you. We come from different worlds. I previously said how would you like it. You've done it! I've slept in my car ONCE from necessity - here in Cyprus - from 4am til 8am. If I'd enjoyed that experience I would have repeated it. I hope never to have to do that again!

Yes that's me only the one dog, one we had to rehome but Benny would not have been rehomable to anyone else. But yes we come from different worlds I thought everyone did, so I am always interested in how others live. Being homeless wasn't something we enjoyed very few people would we just made the best of a bad time paid off our debts and then found accommodation we could afford.

We may soon (year or so) be doing it again but using a campervan which will be height of luxury compared with our old Volvo. Although recent decisions may mean we have to stay here longer as I can't see us taking a child out of school to do it. But that's for another time to decide.

Reading through this thread has prompted me to say something that I have been biting my tongue rather hard and painfully not to say for some time.

It may or may not be the right place to say it, but quite frankly I think that this whole news section is patronising to say the least - it assumes that nobody ever reads papers or sees/hears news and it is not surprising that many headlines are unremarked upon because they have already been read before.

This particular thread is about something that any intelligent dog owner is well aware of, and a bit of prompting is not necessary - in fact it clearly raises the hackles so to speak of those of us who have had dogs around us all our lives.

The fact that the news dominates the front page is quite worrying, because how many would be members are put off from venturing further - sometimes I myself am put off from venturing further.

Then perhaps you should tell Azz about your feelings, as this was his idea, and Dogsey is his site.

Well if 25% of dog owners think it's ok to leave their dog in their car as the poll says maybe they do need reminding of what the consequences of their actions could be.