Sure, it seems okay to take your pet around town on errands, but when you leave him in the car with the windows rolled up, or even slightly down, you can kill him.

If you leave your dog cooped up in a hot car, it's a sure way to bring on a heat stroke. A dog's body temperature varies between 101 and 102 degrees,normally. In these hot days at the end of summer, a dog locked up in a car can mean a deadly end.chester.jpg

Dogs regulate their body temperature by panting, which expels heat. The temperature in a closed or event slightly vented car can climb rapidly. A hot car is like an oven, with temperatures that can rise an astounding 34 degrees F per minute!

If the animal can not expel the heat fast enough, his body temperature rises. A rise of just 3 degrees is all it takes to send your dog into a dangerous situation.

When the dog's body temperature reaches 108 degrees, internal organs begin to break down and the damage moves at an alarming rate. The local animal human group, ICARE, recommends that you leave your pets and children at home during our hot weather days. Even what you think will be a short trip inside the bank could be long enough to do serious damage.

Inyo's Animal Control Officer Tim Proffitt said that if you see a pet locked in a car, you can call the closest law enforcement agency and they will generally send a unit and notify Animal Control.

If it's a critical situation, Animal Control can remove the animal from the car. Proffitt said there is a new law that allows Animal Control to assess the situation and re3move animals from unattended vehicles before they get into distress. Then, they cite the owner who can be fined.

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