We are living increasingly busy lives, dashing here, there and everywhere – the school run, the weekly shop, the petrol station. A lot of people bring their dogs along for the ride. But then what do you do when you get to your destination? In some situations, it may be perfectly acceptable to bring them out with you – a dog is always a draw at the school gates. But obviously this isn’t always possible. So is it safe to leave them in the car?

Table of contents

Heat stroke

Heat stroke can be a deadly consequence of leaving a dog in a car. And it doesn’t have to be a particularly warm day for real problems to occur. Parking in the shade or leaving a window slightly open makes little to no difference. 

Take a fairly warm spring or summer’s day in the UK, 21°C outside. Within 10 minutes, the temperature inside the car will reach 32°C. Within 30 minutes, it’ll be over 40°C. If we’re lucky enough to be in the middle of a heatwave, with an outside temperature in the high twenties, the mercury would hit nearly 50°C after only half an hour. When a dog’s body temperature reaches 40°C, it can have detrimental and potentially irreversible effects on their internal organs. In some cases, heat stroke can kill in as little as 15 minutes. 

The rule is simple – don’t leave your dog alone in the car, no matter what the weather.

Signs of heat stroke include excessive panting or drooling, lethargy, collapse and vomiting. If you find a dog in a car that appears to be distressed and showing symptoms of heatstroke, call 999. If you break into a car without the owner’s permission, even if you have the dog’s best interests at heart, it could be classed as criminal damage. But if you feel you have no option, ensure you still inform the police of the situation; take plenty of photos and videos and obtain contact details from any other witnesses. 

Theft

Since the dreaded lockdown, demand for canine companions has gone through the roof. However, some people have taken advantage of this situation and dog thefts have increased by more than 20% in the past two years. The stolen dogs are either sold on for extortionate amounts or sadly, used for breeding. A dog left alone in a car could be seen as an easy target. Unfortunately, only around 1 in 5 stolen dogs are returned to their owners. But there are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of them being taken in the first place; or increase the chances of getting them home if they are stolen. 

  • Microchipping – This is now a legal requirement for all dogs over 8 weeks of age. But ensure the details held with the microchip company are kept up to date, including any addresses and contact phone numbers
  • Collar and tag – any dog out in public is required to wear a collar with a tag which bears the owner’s name and address. Although this is easy to discard, it may act as a deterrent. It’s not a good idea to have the dog’s name displayed as this could be used by thieves to try to entice the dog to them or to falsely claim ownership. You can also attach a second tag to the collar to highlight the fact the dog is microchipped. 
  • Neutering – although it won’t be immediately obvious to a thief if your dog is neutered or not, if they are, it could at least save them from being used for breeding. Sadly, this doesn’t stop them then being dumped. But there is more of a chance of them being returned to you. 

Anxiety

For some dogs, being left on their own can lead to high levels of stress. Dogs have no foresight so they don’t know if you’re going to be 30 seconds or 2 hours, or even whether you’re coming back at all! This will apply whether they’re left at home alone or left in the car. We’ve all seen the images of the destruction left by a stressed dog at home, and the same can happen in a car. But because it’s a much more confined space, they could easily injure themselves or cause extensive damage; not to mention the impact on their mental health. 

As the temperature rises inside a car, as explained above, a dog’s anxiety levels will increase too, compounding the situation. Separation anxiety is certainly not uncommon but there are methods to help combat it. So speak to your vet in the first instance, who can give you guidance or refer you on to a behaviour counsellor. 

Escape

Some dogs are true escape artists and an unlocked car door or partially open window could be all they need to make their bid for freedom. As with theft, the key thing to do (other than to not leave your dog in a car!) is to ensure their microchip details are up to date. And they are wearing a collar and tag, so that if they are found and scanned, you can be contacted. 

So, is it safe to leave dogs in cars these days? No. Not only is there a huge risk to their physical and mental health, but you could be leaving them open to being stolen by unscrupulous thieves. If you can’t take them out with you wherever you are going it is much safer to leave them at home where many of these risks can be avoided.  

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