A car parked in the sun can easily become a death trap. Recent news reports – unfortunately – confirm this. Let's think about it before leaving our dog in the car in the summer heat!
"But I'll only be gone for half an hour..." is a common thought, with the conviction that there will be no consequences. Well. With an outside temperature of 22 degrees Celsius, the interior can reach almost 40 degrees in half an hour. If it's the middle of summer – say, 30 degrees Celsius – the car's internal temperature rises to 43 degrees in fifteen minutes, and after half an hour, it jumps to 49. In an hour, it's 54 degrees. "But what if I leave the windows slightly open?" No, that's not enough.
If such temperatures are unbearable for a healthy adult, imagine for a dog. Dogs regulate their internal temperature through breathing and sweating from their paws; if the heat becomes stifling, the system cannot maintain equilibrium. In a few minutes, the temperature can rise to 41 degrees, with very serious and often fatal consequences. The most at-risk subjects are puppies, elderly dogs, and predisposed breeds (bulldogs, pugs, large dogs, etc.).
It is important to remember that leaving a dog in a car in the heat could constitute a criminal offense. Article 727 of the Penal Code punishes those who "keep animals in conditions incompatible with their nature and causing severe suffering" with arrest for up to one year or a fine of 5,000 to 10,000 euros.
