Hot Dog

2008-05-26 - 1:46 p.m.

Happy Memorial Day 2008, gang.

When you're out at the barbeque enjoying your hamburgers and hot dogs, remember what this day really stands for.

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Speaking of hot dogs...

Yesterday a customer informs me that the police are in our parking lot and about to break into a customer's car. I immediately head out and find not only the police but animal control. A customer had parked their car in our lot and left a very cute little terrier mix in it. Three of the windows were cracked open less than an inch each. The dog was staying on the bottom of the compartment, but he was panting real good and had no water or bathroom facilities. On top of all that, he was wearing a doggie sweater.

After a brief consultation with the police, I paged the owners twice with no response. The animal control officer used an infrared thermometer and got a reading from inside the car - ninety-seven degrees. It was in the 70s outside, but the dog was baking.

The police used several tools to try to get the door unlocked, but the latches were just out of reach. Finally, one of the officers hooked a purse (lying in plain sight in the back of the seat - more proof of the intelligence of these people) and was able to get out a cell phone. He managed to find the customers by calling them, and told them to get out to their vehicle.

When the group of four showed up (a mom/dad/son/fiancee set), the son told them that the dog was fine because it was cold outside and it couldn't have been that warm in the car. Even the mom said she was cold. The police informed him how hot it was in the car and that they could very well take the dog from them right now. The daughter immediately told them they weren't going to take "her" dog away. And the police told her that they very well could.

There was some back-and-forth (the mom even said that "in North Carolina people leave their kids in their cars and there's no problem"), but the group agreed to take responsibility for what they had done. They were cited and allowed to keep the dog.

Now, of course ignorance is no excuse. But my God - this dog was in major distress. They swore they didn't hear the page, but it was heard by customers OUT FRONT, where there are no speakers at all. It was a rental car, so I couldn't recite the licence plate (it wouldn't have any meaning to them) and the police couldn't get an actual name for me to page.

But geez - a dog in a hot car with no water or bathroom facilities, and a purse laying in plain sight in the back seat. Oh, and as I was leaving for the day, they were taking pictures of the sky - no doubt so they could fight the citation.

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After I came home, I checked on Solange (yes, she had water) and then watched the baseball game. Then I watched a lot of my new Muppet Show DVDs.

And that was my Sunday.

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If you get a chance today, thank a veteran.

And take care of your pets. They count on you.

Be seeing you.

Wyndspirit - 2008-05-31 17:33:31 - http://wyndspirit.diaryland.com
I work with an animal rescue group. Ouch. Obviously, no matter how much it HAS been publicized, some morons don't understand just how hot a car can get, even if the day is cool. The cops should have taken their keys (and the dog) and made them sit in the car in exactly the circumstances of the dog for a few hours. (Of course it never works that way in the real world, but still...)

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