Car no place to leave pet in summer

At the end of a long workday, nothing adds insult to injury quite like climbing into an oven for the ride home — the steering wheel and gear shift burn hands, the hot air is hard to breathe, sweat is almost instantaneous, and worse yet is the realization that the puddle of slimy liquid in the cup holder used to be lip balm.

Yep, it’s summertime, and in New Mexico, that means a lot of heat.

There are solutions to ease the impact of heat on a vehicle’s interior, which can range from cracked and pealing dashboards to faded upholstery.

Tinted windows, folding windshield screens, steering wheel covers and, for those new to the area, the infamous dash carpeting (yes, it has a purpose) can help, but nothing changes the simple fact it gets destructively and dangerously hot here.

When people easily understand a child’s neglected crayon on a seat can melt and ruin upholstery in the time it takes to run into the bank, it would seem they would never, even for a second, think their pet would be OK in the same scenario.

And yet every year, it’s estimated that hundreds of pets die after being left in hot cars.

It’s enough of an issue that information campaigns about pets in cars come from animal groups, veterinary professionals and even the Center for Disease Control.

What many people may not understand is in heat of summer, there’s no safe amount of time a child or pet can be left in a vehicle because the dangerous effects begin the moment the air conditioner is turned off and the windows are rolled up, even if only part way.

In a study published May 23, researchers from Arizona State University and the University of California at the San Diego School of Medicine, evaluated how parked vehicles warmed.

Using six vehicles — sedans, economy cars and minivans — the team worked in Tempe, Arizona, over three 100-degree days. Moving the vehicles around parking lots, they measured interior and outside surface temperatures in full sun and shade at intervals throughout the day.

What they found was after one hour in the sun, approximately a grocery shopping trip, the dashboard temperature of vehicles had reached 157 degrees — hot enough to fry an egg — seats were 123 degrees, and interior air temperature was 116 degrees.

Parking in the shade yielded lower temperatures, they found, though not enough to save a life. After an hour in shade, dashboards were 118, seats 105, and interior air temperatures were 100 degrees. In either scenario, they noted, a child’s body temperature would range from 100.7 to 102.4 degrees at one hour, while continuing to rise.

Even worse, air quality would be reducing by the minute with no way for the body’s cooling system to work.

Logically, medium-to-small pets that can weigh significantly less than children, will reach the danger zone even faster, especially since they’re wearing fur.

The bottom line is there really isn’t an alright time to leave a pet alone in a vehicle, especially if it’s warm outside. Plan errands ahead and only go places where critters are allowed inside, or leave them at home.

If you do see a pet in a hot car, animal experts advise to try to locate the owner; if you can’t, call the appropriate authorities for help and stay with the pet until the situation is resolved.

One of the downsides of summer is balancing long, sunny days with staying cool — and for pet owners, that means keeping them cool, too.

Sharna Johnson is always searching for ponies. Contact her at: [email protected]