The Torch

Issue date: 6/4/09 Section: News

As temperatures rise, pets face fatal risks being left in vehicles, even when windows are rolled down. Owners of pets left in cars can face consequences. Photo illustration by DOROTHY WEARNE/The Torch

As spring days bring warmer weather to LCC, students take to shady lawns instead of the library, and some find it harder to focus on classes. Flowers bloom along the walkways, and students and faculty start making summer plans. Yet in the parking lots, in cars that can reach temperatures upwards of 120 degrees, some LCC visitors are having a much harder time.

Through many hot seasons, Public Safety Officer Bill Speicher has warned LCC students, faculty and staff about the dangers of leaving pets locked in roasting vehicles. "Time to time we discover … dogs locked up on extremely hot days," he said. "You can tell they're distressed. They look terrible."

Speicher said that even though many pet owners partially roll down their windows, trying to cool down the car, the temperature inside a car can rise to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, and can exceed 120 degrees in 30 minutes. High temperatures such as these can cause permanent brain damage or even death for animals trapped in the vehicles.

"Sometimes students walking to class call us to report life-threatening situations," Speicher said.

Public Safety officers have three recourses when dealing with animals trapped in vehicles: they can put a sign on the car that states the hazards of leaving animals in parked vehicles; they can contact the registered owner of the vehicle; or in worst case scenarios, they can call Animal Control to seize the pet.

Speicher said that seizure is a last resort, but is necessary when the animal seems to be suffering from severe heat exhaustion.

"Last week I had a puppy out there," Speicher said. "It would have broken your heart to see this little puppy." Speicher ended up removing the dog from the car and bringing it to Public Safety headquarters to wait for the owner.

Speicher said that the puppy's owner was "extremely mad at us" because she didn't believe that the puppy had really been in distress. However, Speicher said most owners are usually grateful that Public Safety may have saved their dog's life.

"A lot of people are na've," he said. "They're thinking about classes, about all their stuff. They're not really thinking about [heat exhaustion]."

A parked car is no place for a dog to spend the day, Speicher said. Instead, he encouraged students to leave their animals at home, where they have access to shade and water.

Dogs on leashes are also permitted anywhere on campus, except in buildings.

If students witness a dog in distress, they are encouraged to contact Public Safety at (541) 463-5558.

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