EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -Eau Claire Police say they’re seeing higher than normal cases of animals being left in hot cars.
Even if you think it’s just a ‘quick trip’ into a store or building, leaving a pet in a hot car with just a cracked window is not enough.
Local law enforcement says they have gotten calls about pets left in hot cars about 20 times this month, which is more than average.
For most people, pets are like family, and even though you might want to bring them with you everywhere, animal experts say that’s not a good idea in the summer as temperatures rise.
Addie Erdmann says, “dogs can’t regulate their temperature like humans can, so panting and drooling is their way of kind of like when humans sweat.”
The heat exhaustion and discomfort is something that people passing by notice and notify police about.
Ben Hundt says, “we do have an increase certainly over the summer months of reports of people finding an animal or a child left in a vehicle… when we respond if we see that an animal, or especially a child is in distress we take action to make sure that they’re safe quickly.”
Officer Hundt says officers will try to contact the owner, but if no progress has been made, they will have to break the car window
The police department works closely with local animal hospitals and shelters, which unfortunately often see this happen.
“It’s really tough because sometimes we get animals in from animal control specifically that have been called on because they’ve been in a car or neglected out in the heat for too long…in general it’s making sure you’re taking care of your pet,” Erdmann says.
“We all know that temperatures can raise in a car very quickly, it doesn’t take long for on a 75- or 80-degree day for the car to reach over 100 degrees,” Hundt says.
Officer Hundt says you should always check your back seat before leaving your car, even if it is a quick trip into a store…and take care of your pets in severe weather.
Copyright 2024 WEAU. All rights reserved.
