Colorado authorities urge pet owners to keep furry friends out of hot cars during heat wave
Most pet owners have been in this situation. You're out enjoying the day with your furry friend, and you need to stop off and do some errands. It can be tempting to leave them in the car, then run in and get whatever you need, but this weekend, with triple-digit temperatures on deck, that is a worse idea than it ever has been because the inside of your car can get very hot, very fast.
"It happens very fast, and it can happen to anyone," said Lt. Shannon Hardi with Aurora Fire Rescue. "On a warm day like today, the temperature in the car can exceed 120 degrees in a matter of minutes."
"Even with your windows down, cars still reach very high temperatures. And even just getting a degree above what is normal for them can cause them to start experiencing symptoms of heat stroke," said Dorothy Berry the Shelter Supervisor at the Aurora Animal Shelter.
If you see a pet in a car, both Aurora Fire Rescue and the Aurora Animal Shelter say call someone.
"You should call your jurisdictional, animal control, or animal protection officers. They will respond to those calls. You also can call the police (or fire)," said Berry.
In Colorado, it is legal for you to then break a window to free the animal but it's not something experts recommend.
"We just recommend dialing 911, let us handle it when we get there," said Hardi.
"You never know the temperament of any animal. You also don't want to be liable for a situation like that," said Berry.
Aurora Fire Rescue says a better idea is to search nearby businesses to try to locate the owner of the pet
"And they can come to, sometimes come out and relieve the pet," said Hardi.
Then let the professionals do the rest.
"An officer can respond, and at the very minimum, hopefully meet with an owner and just educate," said Berry.
She says other things to keep in mind as the weekend approaches; make sure to get those walks in early before the concrete and asphalt have a chance to heat up and burn the bottom of your animals' paws. Also, make sure they have lots of water throughout the day and keep them in the shade or air conditioning as much as you can.
