During summer months, the temperature inside a parked car can climb to well above 100 degrees in just a matter of minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads. Never leave a dog in a parked car. On a mild day (70 degrees), the temperature inside a car can reach 120 degrees in 30 minutes. On a 90 degree day, the interior can reach 160 degrees in less than minutes. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.

You take your pets along for the ride because you love them. Not thinking for a moment that you could be potentially putting their fragile, short lives in danger. I used to take my dog everywhere with me when I ran errands. But, just when you think you’re going to run in to 7-11 to get a gallon of milk, someone inevitably writes a check. Who writes checks anymore? And clerks don’t know how to take a check these days. So, what started out as a quick in and out, becomes an hour ordeal. And leaving your car running, unattended, so you can have the air conditioning on for your pet is against the law. Just leaving your keys in your ignition, unattended can result in a hefty fine.

So, my dog doesn’t ride along with me much anymore. He’s more comfortable at home, watching re-runs of Matlock.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Leaving Dogs in Hot Cars – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Taking man’s best friend for a ride in the car is a family favorite. After all, you take them with you because you love them. And they enjoy getting out of the house and exploring just as much as we do. But you don’t realize that taking a pet in the car is not unlike having a child as a passenger. They should be restrained in a dog harness or a doggy seat, and they should never be left alone in the car.

It hadn’t crossed my mind that window safety locks should be on as well. Our West Highland Terrier, Rocket Moon (do not let your children name your pets) was catching a breeze out of the passenger side window, when his paw hit the button and he rolled his own head up in the window. There he was, writhing and kicking, just dangling from his head, stuck in the window. I hope no one saw this through our tinted windows. I pulled into the nearest parking lot as soon as I could and released him from his death trap. Who would have thought that something like this could happen? It was like a scene in Final Destination. I hope no one reported me to P.E.T.A.

Our Westie used to ride between the seats, perfectly perched upon the console. And, more than once, I had to throw my arm in front of him, so he wouldn’t become a hood ornament, when someone pulled out in front of me. Worse than that, I used to let him ride on my lap while I’d drive, letting him hang out of the window. Sometimes, I’d even let him drive. I must admit, he’s a better driver than me. But his eyesight is atrocious. If someone had pulled out in front of me and we’d had a collision, it could have been beyond disastrous. I have an older car, and the airbag (if it even still comes out at all) is supposed to deploy at 300 p.s.i. That’s a crazy amount of pressure. Airbags don’t deploy at a pressure that high in newer cars. That could do some serious damage. An airbag is a controlled explosion. If the airbag was deployed with our dog on my lap, the pressure would likely end his happy tail wagging and his body would probably crush my chest and kill me. Once I realized this, I bought him a dog harness at the pet supply. If you’ve never seen one, it looks like something Madonna would wear onstage. It clips onto the seat belt, so they have freedom to move around on the seat, but they won’t hit the dash or the back of the seat, should you have to stop suddenly. They only had hot pink, and he’s a male, but he’s color blind, so he probably doesn’t even notice.

Leaving a dog in a car, unattended is also a bad idea. I used to take our dog with me while running short errands. If it was hot outside, I would leave the car running with the air on and lock the car with the spare key. Not realizing that it is against the law to leave a car running, unattended. Perhaps just planning to run into the convenience store for a gallon of milk, thinking I’ll only be in there for a few minutes. Then, someone ahead of you in line writes a check. And you’re thinking who the heck writes checks anymore? And you’re in there for over an hour.

Until next week….

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Traveling With A Pet – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post Traveling With A Pet appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Pets are part of the family and we love to take them with us when we leave the house. With the dog days of summer, even if the temperature is only 78 degrees, and even with your car windows cracked (and in my neighborhood, the hoodlums crack them for you), the interior temperature can reach between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes. According to PETA, on a 90 degree day, interior temperatures can reach 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. I dwell in Big D, where it has been 108 degree temperatures for the last eight days. So my fido has been left at home in front of the t.v., wearing a dog bikini, sipping pina coladas and watching old re-runs of Wishbone. Okay, he’s not really sipping cocktails.

Dogs should never drink, because one cocktail is like 7 to a dog. Dogs suffer brain damage or death from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. They can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads. PETA offers leaflets that can be placed on vehicles to remind people to never leave an unattended pet inside a car, “Don’t Let Your Dog Get Hot Under The Collar.” Or, you could make your own clever little flyers with your own sinister twist on them, “Don’t Leave Me In Here – It’s Hot!”, or “I’m Going To Bite You While You Sleep For Doing This To Me”, or “10 Easy Hot Dog Recipes For Idiots.” Leaving a dog in a hot car can also get you a whopping fine here in my city. I am one of the many people who take their pet with them when I can. I’ve taken him with me to 7-11 to get a gallon of milk. Not full-on grocery shopping. I even left the car running with the air conditioning blasting and locked the car with the clicker. I was unaware that, also in my city, you can get a huge fine for leaving your car running unattended, or for even leaving your keys in the car. Who knew?? Of course, I also thought I’d just run in and run out, which didn’t go as planned. Because the lady in line ahead of me wrote a check and I was in there for 45 minutes! Who writes checks these days??

Remember, don’t leave your dog in a hot car. You don’t want Red Rover to cross over…do you??

Daun Thompson

Leaving a dog in a hot car – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post HOT DOG! – Leaving a dog in a hot car appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.