Nanny-state ninnies and a little common sense
By Gina Spadafori
May 9, 2008
Nearly every morning Heather and I go get coffee. Or groceries. Or breakfast. She’s the queen here, and rank has its privileges. She trots to whatever car we’re test-driving that week for DogCars.com, I hold the door open for her and she jumps into the shotgun seat.
It’s my only exception to the rule that dogs be harnessed or crated, and I figure it’s a low-risk endeavor.
Little traffic at that time of morning, and we’re not going very far. Plus, there’s this: She’s closing in on 12, and her morning errand makes her very happy. And that makes me very happy.
A couple days ago about 7:30 a.m. , with the temperature around 55 degrees, she and I went to pick up a few items at the store. The sun was low, the parking lot shaded. I opened the moon roof and dropped the windows a couple inches, although honestly, it was plenty cool.
I came back to find a flier on my windshield.
“YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW!” it screamed. “YOU ARE KILLING YOUR DOG!”
I look in the window. Heather smiles. Hmmmm.
I turn my attention back to the flier. The rest explains how in California, it’s illegal to leave your dog in the car “in hazardous conditions.” Yes, well, I know that, and I wouldn’t have taken her out if the conditions were hazardous. I didn’t need a law to keep me from doing it either.
Gawd, I hate California.
It’s not really a bad thing that it’s now specifically illegal to leave a dog in a hot car, but it was illegal before, in a more generalized way, under animal cruelty laws.
What bugged me was the smug superiority of the person who left the flier there, who thought I was a “bad” dog owner for … what? Making an old dog happy in a situation with little to no risk at all?
In fact, the conditions were pretty darn nice in front of the Whole Foods, where the yoga babes were coming in for their post-meditation goji berry juice and the lobbyists from the multimillion-dollar riverbluff homes were queuing up in the Starbucks drive-though in the parking lot.
I crumpled the flier. In a fit of civil disobedience, I was tempted to put it not in the bin marked “recycling” but rather in the one marked “trash.” But of course, I didn’t.
Dear Anonymous Nanny-State Ninny: Leaving fliers on luxury SUVs in an affluent neighborhood (Note: Not my car, not my neighborhood) at a time when the dog in question was not at all at risk marks you as a gutless worm with the common sense of a snail. (Apologies to worms and snails.)
Hey, maybe you should run for office!
I also “KILL MY DOG” by not giving annual booster vaccines, feeding table scraps, using off-label heartworm meds and letting Emily stick her head out the window when she’s in my fiance’s lap. I hope this person will get to work on passing laws against all those things too. Cos we need more fliers.
Comment by slt — May 9, 2008 @ 7:57 am
I had the same experience once. My old dog, at 15, found her greatest pleasure in going for rides. She couldn’t run and play at the park anymore, had little energy for toys, and spent most of the day imitating an expensive furry rug. But the very idea of getting in the car had her jumping around in joy.
Of course, I was careful to take her out only on cool days, and on one such day left her in the car while I ran into a store for a few things. Not even three minutes later a “concerned person” came in, ranting and raving that someone was killing their dog by leaving it in the car and didn’t they know dogs overheat that way??
It was one of those moments where you stop and stare at the person, wondering if they’re quite all there. On that particular day it was an overcast 36 degrees out, and if anything, I was more worried the old girl would get a chill.
Really, I appreciate that people are concerned for the well-being of an animal, but does that mean observation and a bit of common sense must to be thrown out?
Comment by EMoon — May 9, 2008 @ 10:20 am
I was once given the opening salvo of a lecture on this, as my husband and I were in the process of retrieving our dog from the backseat to take him to the doggy bath-house visible right behind us. The person was just that unobservant and eager to shove an oar in.
Based on my experience with cats, episodes like this look to me like displaced aggression. And a bit like the real-world equivalent of concern trolls.
Comment by Eucritta — May 9, 2008 @ 11:05 am
So here is someone who clearly keeps a stack of flyers with them at all times but watches the TV to find out the day’s weather instead of looking out a window!
My point is no common sense, or maybe simply no sense at all.
But then again Gina, in 4 or 5 hours, you could have had a dangerous situation in that car. Better for our pets and also ourselves never to set foot outside.
Sounds very similar to the “lets kill pits in the shelter (or any other animal for that matter) so that they will never be faced with the potential, however unlikely, for suffering in a private home” mentality.
Gawd help us.
I’m now off to close all the blinds and watch the weather channel.
Comment by JenniferJ — May 9, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
http://www.goodpooch.com/ISSUES/carsanddogs.htm
Comment by Marjorie — May 9, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
oh yeah, I got one of those.. from animal control
I had my dog in an open sided parking garage (i.e. full shade, with breeze), and the temp was about 50 degrees. I had been gone for about 30 minutes and returned to a “call me about your dog left without water in your car” note. Which I of course did NOT return…
It’s not against the law here to have your dog in a car, and the dog was in no distress.. so why the heck was AC harassing me?
Because there’s a crazy lady who calls AC whenever she sees a dog unattended in a car and, according to rumor, has smashed people’s windows.
OTOH, most of the dogs in my town are left out in their yards 24/7 with minimal shelter. When *I* call AC about those dogs, they tell me “nothing we can do; meets the standard of care”
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Comment by EmilyS — May 9, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
Honestly, I think you were in the wrong to leave your dog in your car.
*You* may have the common sense required to know when it’s safe and not safe to do so, but many dogs who died in overheated cars over the years are testament to the fact that there are plenty of people out there who do not.
Leaving your dog in the car, even on a cool day, sets a poor example and lends confidence in this practice to those less gifted with common sense.
Comment by anne h — May 9, 2008 @ 10:56 pm
I also have the common sense not to drive 100 mph on a residential street, but just seeing me in my car going 20 mph on a residential street may give people with less common sense the idea that it’s OK to drive any way they want.
Driving, even in a safe and legal manner, sets a poor example and lends confidence in this practice to those less gifted with common sense.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 10, 2008 @ 1:57 am
anne h, I appreciate your concern - but seriously and realistically - what do you expect people to do?
I have driven cross-country with a dog - just me and the dog. Sometimes I have to stop for gas, which necessitates me going in to pay for it. Sometimes I have to stop to eat - even if it means running in to pick something up from a convenience store. Sometimes I have to stop to use the restroom, and if the only one available is within a restaurant where dogs are prohibited, then my options are seriously limited.
This example is not all that uncommon (I’ve lived this scenario several times over) and you can bet I’m as careful as can be when it becomes necessary to leave my dog in the car - for even the few minutes it takes. No way can that be construed as neglectful, irresponsible, or “setting a bad example”.
Similar - albeit more common day-to-day examples - occur all the time. It’s just not possible to NEVER find the need to leave my dog in my car for brief periods of time unless I keep him at home in a bubble. And believe me, dogs who never see the world, never meet people or become socialized or learn to deal with the stresses of new places on a frequent basis live in their own special kind of hell. Now THAT is cruelty to a dog.
So be realistic here, anne h - as well as fair to the dogs. Just what WOULD you suggest?
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 10, 2008 @ 6:08 am
The issue of leaving dogs in cars and under what circumstances appears to have become yet another example of many people’s utter inability to draw any distinctions whatsoever, never mind applying any critical thinking skills to a situation.
Our dog goes with us 9 out of 10 times because I didn’t get a dog to just leave him cooling his paws at home all the time. Experiencing the world through him is a constant joy. He’s a beloved visitor at numerous stores. Staff says hi to him before us. He leaves a trail of smiles wherever he goes. I’m not about to take that away from him. He LOVES car rides.
Yes, we sometimes leave him in the car, but he is safe in the shade no matter how far it means we have to walk. Being a rough collie with a big coat, we take that very seriously. Or, if necessary, one of us stays outside the store with him or takes him for a short walk while the other goes in. I refuse to believe that we are doing anything wrong.
There’s a saying that “common sense” isn’t. So true.
Comment by Susan Fox — May 10, 2008 @ 8:01 am
I am seeing double on this issue.
One way I look at it is I wouldn’t want anybody to tell me I am wrong if I am doing a sensible action.
The other glance at this is people leaving dogs in cars that do heat up after the owner is away from the car—say if it is 70 degrees or more outside.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 10, 2008 @ 9:59 am
she probably would have been so embarressed had sh knew who she left that flier for. lol.
Comment by judi — May 10, 2008 @ 10:48 am
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 10, 2008 @ 9:59 am
“The other glance at this is people leaving dogs in cars that do heat up after the owner is away from the car—say if it is 70 degrees or more outside.”
Did you read through the link Marjorie posted above? It’s got some pretty good information in it.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 10, 2008 @ 1:15 pm
I guess I do not know enough about the subject to comment fully about the heat situation.
Here in Fort Collins people do call the dog officers about dogs left in cars because the sun is pretty strong, being a mile high above sea level.
The mornings start off cool but it quickly warms up as it goes toward noon. So people have to be a bit more careful about the heat going into the vehicles.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 10, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
hey, here’s an idea: when the dog is likely to be harmed (e.g. when it actually IS hot) or seems to be in distress, then call AC.
Until, butt out, and let those of us who like to take our dogs with us do so without having to be “examples” of responsible pet owners or you making assumptions about how the dog will be in the car, or what the weather may become
Comment by EmilyS — May 10, 2008 @ 6:16 pm
I agree with you, EmilyS, for I have decided before this posting that I will not look inside cars or hear the dogs barking or in anyway interfere with the dog and the car.
I have so much going on in my own life that I am leaving it to the good samaritans or the not so good samaritans to do what they do and I will concentrate on me, my family, and my cats which are part of my family.
Dog people can take care of dogs.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 10, 2008 @ 7:15 pm
Wow, Emily, what a great idea- observe what is actually going on before making assumptions. To make the a priori assumption that leaving a dog in a car is somehow in itself so abusive that AC must be called is nuts. I totally agree with you.
Comment by Susan Fox — May 10, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
I have been traveling with dogs for 20 plus years, from visits to town to cross country.
I have never had a dog become distressed in the car.
Of course I travel with extra water, crate fans, ice as needed. I have become very good at finding shade and judging the duration of stops.
If I am getting a bite to eat with friends after a show, we take turns going out check on the dogs every 10 to 15 minutes or so depending on weather. If conditions are to extreme, we just head home.
Consider also that the dogs I travel with are brachycephalic and therefore at greatly increased risk of overheating. Common sense and a little preparedness have been key.
Assuming that the act of taking a dog in the car and walking away for 10 minutes or so is somehow ALWAYS inhumane and irresponsible is ludicrous and more than that, it’s very dangerous.
Consider that some prominent AR activists claim that leaving a dog home alone may be tantamount to abuse. And then we cannot leave them for even a moment in a car? No matter how mild the weather?
Apparently in the brave new world only shut-ins will be able to keep a pet “humanely”. Wealthy shut-ins of course, as many AR rants I’ve been reading over the past year sneer at the idea of financially challenged folks being able or allowed to keep a pet.
So I do understand and appreciate the concerns of people over dogs in hot cars. But I also know of far more dogs who have succumbed to heat exhaustion at home than in vehicles. Dogs left outside with no water, dogs who got riled up in the heat by another dog or other animal with no adequate way to cool off. Dogs left home in the air-conditioning when the power went out on a 112 degree day and the house turned into a sauna. I personally once had a dog drag part of his bed out through the dog door and get it jammed with him on the outside in 105 degree weather, he was OK, but pretty hot when I got home, even though he had shade and water. Was it irresponsible of me to leave my dog home that day?
And far more dogs die under cars than in them. So are pet owners who drive to be considered irresponsible?
Sorry, enough ranting. But laws will not stop idiots from doing what idiots do. And education works better than threats on most everyone else.
Comment by JenniferJ — May 10, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
I hope you all forgive me for speaking out in defense of dogs that are left for a while in a hot car. I will let them all suffer and just go on my way.
Denver has a website:
http://www.dfordog.com/didyouknow_19.htm which defends my point of view because I have been left in a parked car with a dog and it got HOT even though the owner came back in a half an hour and loved her dog dearly.
But I will not risk the anger of a dog owner just to rescue a dog. Nosiree!
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 11, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
Ooooooohhhhh… (wiping tear away, laughing)
Thanks for the link, Colorado Transplant. That was hilarious! Even I didn’t realize factually-baseless hysteria had sunk *that* low.
Notice the lack of facts and figures or helpful guidelines. It’s always lethal to leave any dog in any vehicle on any day for any length of time, according to that org. How preposterous! They lose all credibility with people who have I.Q’s in the triple digits, when they make such unfounded, summary statements.
It’s these kinds of people that call for warning labels on hair dryers that read, “Don’t use while under water.” Well, duh. Talk about stupid! If you go around warning people not to use their hair dryers under water, then I suppose those kinds of flyers make sense. The rest of us are just smarter, I guess.
The fact that so few dogs are actually harmed in hot cars is testament to that. With millions of dogs in the U.S., the percentage of dogs seriously harmed because their owners left them in hot cars is infinitesimally-small.(Most dogs that present with heat exhaustion were exercised too hard on a hot day, or left outdoors without adequate shelter or water. Check your local veterinary clinics for figures. They won’t have many of these ‘hot car’ cases.)
Few things in life are black and white, and dogs don’t die in cars in under 10 minutes, even when it is undeniably too hot for them to have been left alone. They don’t die in cars when the interior is 80F or less.
People need to know their facts.
Accusing someone of wrongdoing is a very serious matter.
And unlike parents with children (who are allowed everywhere there parents are), dogs are barred from most establishments. There are many scenarios where owners must leave their dogs in their vehicles. The overwhelming majority of owners already do so cautiously and with concern. Misdirected sanctimony is not only useless, it is incredibly insulting…even possibly actionable, I bet. (hint, hint)
If it’s a hot day and you’re in, say, an amusement park’s / indoor shopping mall’s / movie theatre’s massive, outdoor parking lot, then maybe you should do something about that (clearly-in-distress) dog over in G-17. In front of a convenience store, a gas station, or a fast food restaurant? Puhleeze. Get real.
If someone is justifiably worried about a dog in a car, they’ll have the moxy to do something about it. I know I’d have the stones to actually rescue the “dying” dog. (Of course, I could actually differentiate between a happy or excited dog, and one that is in physical distress.) It’s just that I simply don’t come across situations where people do this. I’ve seen dogs alone in cars. It wasn’t hot. I’ve seen dogs alone in cars. The owners were only gone for a few minutes.
Similarly, I can’t recall the last news story from anywhere close to my home region, where a dog died from being left in a hot car. Once last year (or the year before) I remember one news story chastising an owner for leaving a dog in a car in an underground parking lot for fifteen minutes. …Which is the point. Hysteria. It’s ugly. Don’t do it.
People actually are aware of the “dangers” and don’t accidentally put their dogs in this kind of jeopardy. The few cases I know of, where a dog has been seriously harmed in a hot vehicle, the owners were incredibly selfish, but otherwise mentally competent, adults who chose shopping or socializing over their dogs’ welfare. They made choices I’d never make, nor would/do the vast majority of dog owners.
Our society is growing more and more perverted. Rather than holding individuals accountable for what they actually do, we hold everyone accountable for what a tiny number of fools have done, or what some vacuous ninny imagines we might do. I would never, will never, side with those who use blanket generalizations to penalize individuals who haven’t actually done anything wrong.
Anyone who believes a dog is dying, and then leaves a piece of paper for the owners (and, of course…the whole point…passersby) to read, is evil and heartless. They’re worse than the owners who’ll undoubtedly claim they didn’t know their dogs were in distress. If you know a dog is in distress, leaving a flyer and walking away is unconscionable and cowardly.
But, since this kind of abject hysteria seems to be on the rise, I would suggest that responsible dog owners (who occasionally safely leave their dogs in their vehicles when necessary) have their windows tinted, keep a thermometer in the car to record the internal temperature of the vehicle (and use it to have someone witness the internal temperature, should one be falsely accused of animal endangerment), and maybe even print the article at the link I posted earlier, and keep a copy in the glove box…you know…just to educate the sanctimonious and the ignorant. ;-)
Comment by Marjorie — May 11, 2008 @ 3:03 pm
On the rare occasions I’ve seen a dog left in a vehicle in conditions I thought were genuinely unsafe, I’ve flagged down mall or store security. They have some training, some tools, and some degree of legal authority, in the parking lot that’s part of their employers’ property. If the car doeshave to be opened and the dog removed before the owners return, smashing the window is really not the ideal method for anyone involved.
(And in case anyone is wondering, yes, actually, mall and store security has been very concerned and willing to act on these few occasions.)
Comment by Lis — May 11, 2008 @ 4:15 pm
ok, Colorado Transplant: go join dog thief Tammy Grimes in her crusade to limit dog ownership and freedom of choice. You obviously fit her mentality… my way or the highway.
sheesh.
btw, Ft Collins has LOTS of problems with irresponsible dog owners.. include the students who allow their badly behaved (oh he’s friendly) dogs to run off leash. And the failure of the local shelters to work towards no-kill. Why don’t you address those kinds of REAL problems instead of things that are NOT problems?
Comment by EmilyS — May 11, 2008 @ 8:04 pm
Would it be possible to be nicer to Colorado Transplant, who is, after all, one of the regulars here and a very caring pet-lover?
Discuss, sure. Attack, not so much. Thanks.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 11, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
Gina, you saved my day, week, month, and beyond.
Thank you for your kind words.
I am not a crusader, but only want to alert those very small amount of individuals who are not as aware of the danger of a dog being overheated as practically all the bloggers here are.
Why do I bother risking the anger of people in the blog? The answer is I do not want to see a dog in distress—he might not recover from the trauma.
I hate being attacked, but if I can save one dog’s trauma, it is worth the stress.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — May 12, 2008 @ 4:24 am
I agree with the common sense approach - but sometimes one person’s common sense is another person’s over the top.
While a friend and I were on summer vacation in a lovely city in Oregon we noticed a small cat locked in a car panting. It wasn’t real hot out, but the car was parked in full sun and not even a window was cracked.
We asked people in the nearby stores and in the park across the street if they were the owners. No takers. We were very concerned and flagged down a local policeman. He was very nice but said he couldn’t do anything as long as the cat didn’t appear in imminent danger.
By then a crowd had gathered, the cat was getting more listless and people were getting upset. One observer volunteered to break a window. The cop just sighed, said he really didn’t want to have to arrest anyone for vandalism, got out his plastic door opener and opened the car door. Someone brought a bowl of water, someone else brought a wet towel, the windows were cracked. A few people wanted to take the cat, but the officer said that he would then have to arrest them for property theft. He relocked the car and that was that. Oh - And a number of nasty notes were left on the windshield.
Looking back, I think all parties handled this about as well as they could…but I still wonder what the idiot owner thought when he got back to his car. And do you think we went too far??
Comment by 2CatMom — May 12, 2008 @ 6:33 am
Colorado Transplant - this is absolutely NOT meant as an attack. But when I suggested you go read the link Marjorie posted, it was meant in all sincerity. I actually found food for thought there myself. The article covered things I hadn’t necessarily thought of myself, or certainly not in such carefully documented detail.
I tend to get “lost in the numbers” myself, but here is one passage I found helpful:
“In general, the ‘hot day rule’ is 1°F rise per minute the car is parked.
5 minutes = 5°F rise
10 minutes = 10°F rise
…up to a (probable) maximum temperate value of 140°F
If the starting temperature of the car’s interior is a cool, air conditioned 70°F; ten minutes later, even on the hottest day, the temperature is unlikely to be above 80°F.
If, however, the car’s interior is equal to that outdoors, even ten minutes could be quite uncomfortable for you or your dog. If the starting temperature of the car’s interior is 85°F; ten minutes later, it could be 95°F inside. If you come back to your car at the 10 minute mark, you’ve just rescued your dog from almost certain injury, such as brain damage, had it gone on just a few minutes longer.”
And later in the article:
“Do this simple experiment yourself….and…..be honest:
On a hot day, bring along a thermometer and park your car in direct sunlight. Write down the time you parked your car, then record the temperature every five minutes. (If you don’t actually write it down, you may fall victim to the very human flaw of exaggeration, over time.) This real-world test will prove to you that yes, your car is too hot to be comfortable for your dog when it is hot and sunny, but no, it does not magically explode with heat in a few, short minutes.”
I’ve never done this experiment, but being a person who works in a lab, the idea of collecting “real data” appeals to me, and I think I might just have to conduct this one this summer (sans dog, of course!).
The article goes on to state “When pointing fingers, few bother to record the temperature inside the vehicle” which takes on new relevance in light of the passages I’ve already made note of here.
Further down is the paragraph:
“One humane organization claimed that leaving dogs in hot cars ‘…results in hundreds of deaths each year.’ We contacted them to say we find this claim puzzling, in that we’ve been researching this issue for a while, and haven’t found documentation for ‘hundreds of deaths’ since the invention of the automobile, much less ‘hundreds of deaths’ ‘each year.’ At least that humane group had the good sense to correct that aspect of their web site. Unfortunately, they haven’t stopped promulgating hysteria about dogs in cars.”
So once again we see an organization making claims of fact which they cannot support with data, and when challenged, they simply withdraw the statement without withdrawing from the unfounded campaign. Don’t you find this just a bit untrustworthy (and hauntingly familiar)?
Towards the end, the article concludes:
“Again, this is not about justifying putting dogs in needless jeopardy. It is about fact and reason, and responsibility. Just as dog owners are responsible for ethically caring for their dogs; those who accuse strangers of wrongdoing are responsible for being able to prove their claims.”
If you read this paragraph carefully - and in light of the factually-based information presented in the article - maybe it will help you towards understanding what the posters here are getting at, and why they become so weary of being asked to modify or curtail their very reasonable and safe day-to-day activities just to mollify inaccurate public perceptions fed by the fear-mongering campaigns of overfunded “humane” organizations.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 12, 2008 @ 6:35 am
I would have — have done — the same. The animal was in distress. Anyone who cares would help.
My problem was someone upbraiding me for breaking the law (I wasn’t) and killing my dog (I wasn’t even stressing her) when there was quite clearly no problem at all.
I would have had to be in that grocery store for hours for there to have been any problem at all. (I was in for 10 minutes, tops.)
If the hour had been later, the temperature higher (it was under 60 degrees, with a cool breeze) or the dog in distress … the situation would have been clearly different. And I hope someone would have acted on behalf of my dog. After all, there is always a remote possibility that I could have had a heart attack in the store and been removed by ambulance to the hospital, without anyone knowing I’d left my dog in the car outside.
Not likely, but possible.
What my problem was that some people assume a dog in the car is always at risk. They’re not. My dogs are out with me a lot (including some coast-to-coast trips) and in 30 years I can assure you they have NEVER been at risk in a parked car.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — May 12, 2008 @ 6:42 am
2CatMom - Aside from the cat’s owner, I find the police officer to be the negligent one in your story. I would have hoped he’d be knowledgeable enough to recognize a cat in distress once reported to him, but apparently he was not. However, once he became convinced enough of the cat’s distress by the onlookers to open the car and allow them to provide the cat with relief, he should have recognized that a line had been crossed, and then HE should have called the local ACO who certainly would have had more expertise than he did to accurately assess the situation.
But for him to be persuaded that the cat was in enough distress to require help, but then just SHUT THE CAT BACK UP IN THE CAR AND LEAVE IT was incredibly and almost unbelievably negligent on the part of the OFFICER.
Comment by The OTHER Pat — May 12, 2008 @ 6:43 am
I have for years taken my two dogs with my wife and I for early morning weekend breakfasts at a local pancake shop. The dogs love the trip and we always park the car(my Honda Element) in shade with windows cracked on cool mornings or preferably insight of our table so that I can watch the boys and make certain an over-zealous “animal lover” doesn’t freak out and try to stage an escape.
I am just as concerned about dog fight people trying to steal my dogs for their evil purposes. It may sound far fetched but there are a lot of those people in my town. Fortunately, they don’t frequent the local pancake shop where there is always an abundance of cops having breakfast. Funny the cops never bothered us about our dogs being in the car. Maybe it’s because we aren’t doing anything wrong! If the day is going to be warm, we leave the dogs home. It is simple, my dogs are more important to me than many peoples children. As evidenced by the several small children injured or killed in over-heated cars in my town every summer in recent years. Good thing those parents aren’t allowed to have dogs! Oh that’s right they are:(
Richard
Comment by Richard Russell — May 12, 2008 @ 8:37 am
Other Pat: I agree - but I don’t think the officer knew that a panting cat is a bad, bad thing. I think he thought we were a bunch of over-reactive cat lovers and didn’t want a riot on his hand. And who knows how long it would have taken Animal Control (if there even was one in the town) would have taken to come. So he did at least allow us to get some relief to the cat.
Once the cat was lightly wrapped in the wet towel he perked up quite a bit, and with the windows open was probably OK. We went and ate dinner down the block and came back about an hour later and the car was gone….
Comment by 2CatMom — May 12, 2008 @ 8:59 am