Leave Your Dog At Home, Not In Your Car: Strongsville Police

STRONGSVILLE, OH — As summer heats up in Northeast Ohio, Strongsville Animal Control Officer Chuck McCleary wants you to leave your pets at home when you go out shopping.

With a muggy, humid weekend approaching, and summer in full swing, calls to McCleary's office tend to spike. Most calls concern people leaving dogs in their vehicles while they're running errands, he said.

"Please leave your pets at home when you have to go to the store or run errands! It is very unsafe for your animal," he said on the city's Facebook.

Leaving your animal in your car while you're shopping can also lead to the impounding of your pet and a citation for animal cruelty or neglect.

"Even when it’s only 70 degrees outside, a car can heat up to 89 degrees in just 10 minutes, and to 104 in 30 minutes. At 80 degrees outside, you’re looking at 99 degrees inside a vehicle in 10 minutes and 114 in 30 minutes," he said.

This weekend, temperatures could climb into the low-90s, making it particularly dangerous for pets.

Leaving a pet in the car, with the motor running, isn't a solution, either, he said.

"If the engine dies, the cool air goes away. Meanwhile, a dog is put at risk of becoming too hot while their owner is unaware there’s a problem," he said.

Ultimately, he said, there is no safe temperature for leaving a dog inside a parked car. Instead, simply leave your pet at home, where you know they're safe. If a pet owner must take their dog with them, the animal should not be left unattended.