Canines confined in hot cars can lead to criminal charges

Parked cars in warm weather are death traps for dogs, according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can rise to 100 to 120 degrees in minutes. On a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach 160 in less than 10 minutes.

“Nobody ever intends to hurt their pet by leaving them for too long in a hot car,” said KC Theisen, the Humane Society of the United States’ director of pet care issues. “We like to think it will take five minutes to run into the grocery store, but if the express line is five people deep, suddenly your pet can be in very real danger. Our pets are safer resting at home in the air conditioning … .”

Think running a battery-operated fan will help your pet? Dogs can cool themselves only by panting and sweating through their paw pads. A fan does nothing to cool their bodies.

Dogs in hot cars are at risk for heat stroke. Visible symptoms include restlessness, thick saliva, heavy panting, lethargy, a dark tongue, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and lack of coordination.

Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in 15 minutes, according to PETA.

The Humane Society reports that animals that are very old, very young, overweight, not conditioned to prolonged exercise or have heart or respiratory disease are more at risk. Some breeds, such as boxers, pugs and shih tzus and cats with short muzzles have a much harder time breathing in extreme heat.

Las Vegas Animal Control reports it receives a call on a dog locked inside a parked car about once a week.

“Of course, when the warmer weather hits, it could be at least once or twice a day,” said Jace Radke, the city’s public information officer.

Las Vegas Animal Control said animals have died from being left in cars, so it treats such calls as a priority and arrives on scene as soon as possible.

Animal Control is authorized to remove the pet if it is in distress or danger.

Nevada is one of 16 states that has laws addressing leaving animals in parked vehicles. There is a Clark County ordinance that makes it a misdemeanor.

According to animallaw.info, in Nevada, a cat or dog that is removed from a motor vehicle under the law is deemed to be an animal being treated cruelly.

Officials dispatched in such instances may use any force to remove the pet from the vehicle.

In the city of Las Vegas, the owner/keeper of the pet can receive a misdemeanor cruelty citation, and the fine could be as much as $1,000.

“If it is proven to be done with malice, it could be upgraded to a gross misdemeanor/felony, and (sentencing) would be determined at the DA level,” Radke said.

Michael Rodriguez, a Metropolitan Police Department public information officer, said if a resident notices animals in parked cars, it’s appropriate to call 911.

How often do such calls occur?

“It’s infrequent,” Rodriguez said.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.