Because sometimes you realize after driving 3 hours that you forgot dog food, and there isn’t a pet store anywhere near the hotel, so you stop on the way to the hotel.

Do you understand that “California” has a very very diverse climate? What kind of question is that?

When my dogs were suffering from such crippling separation anxiety that I couldn’t leave them home without one barking nonstop and the other shrieking like a woman being murdered, I took them with me because they were a lot happier and more secure waiting in the car than staying home alone. It meant I couldn’t run…

Yes, I’m aware of everything you just said. Are you aware that in some parts of the country, 5 minutes is totally fine? My point is to use discretion and that leaving a pet in a car does not automatically make someone an animal abuser. Why is this so hard for people to comprehend?

I worry about the opposite problem. I an era where people call cps because a ten year old walls to the park alone, I feel like this will give license to zealous people to go nuts.

I’m not offended, and even said in my first comment that she probably didn’t mean it that way but it came off as holier than thou. And a few commenters have agreed with me every step of the way, judging by the stars. And a few people agree with Jen’s take. Seriously, bug off if you’re gonna come in here and play…

And I don’t even have kids, so it must be that much more difficult to plan and execute your day when you just want to be unchained from unrealistic societal burdens for one damn second. I so feel for you. We live in a post-nuance society unfortunately.

That video doesn’t show an analogous situation. That car has all the windows uncovered, the sun roof slider open but sun roof closed, and the windows all closed on a 90 degree day with sun overhead in a hot concrete parking lot. No one here is advocating people leave their pets in a car like that.

I don’t leave my dog in the car mostly because of heat (I’m in Tx, so this is ~11 mo of the year) but also because I’m scared of a holier than thou reactionary opening up my car to “rescue” my sweet pup who unfortunately runs without looking when she gets scared, including into traffic. On the rare occasion I have to…

Yeah, I wonder if the dog owners are protected from liability if the dog attacks the person rescuing them?

Who is saying that it’s OK to leave a dog in the car for hours while you go on errands for 2 hours? No one is saying that.

This is a straw man argument. No one is advocating that people make a habit of leaving their pets in their cars for long periods of time on a daily basis. It wasn’t clear what the poster was referring to. “I don’t understand why people bring their pets just to leave them in the car,” isn’t just refering to everyday…

I’m not sure why you’re apologizing to me. If you abide by the law the correct way, there is no risk and there’s nothing to be sorry about. I just see this as a flimsy excuse for people to play mall cop and that’s my concern and perhaps other people’s concern as well.

Oh I agree if the dog looks close to death they won’t go after you, but what if the dog isn’t dying and the person smashes the window anyways. You know there will be people going overboard with this bill and smashing windows of cars rescuing dogs that have only been in there a minute or two.

But you’re assuming that people will only break into the car at that point. The point he’s making is that there are a lot of overzealous people out there that may smash the car well before the “on deathbed” state has presented itself.

As someone with a dog and kids, I think it is great that there is much more awareness of how dangerous it could be, because honestly I don’t think it would be obvious to me how much of a potential issue it is. On the other hand, it is really frustrating that I can’t leave my 6-year-old in a locked car for 3 minutes…

Your comment reads a bit holier than thou. I doubt you meant it that way but that’s the only way to read, “I don’t understand how anyone would take a pet just to leave them in the car” -- I mean it’s not hard to understand at all, but if it is hard, I’ve offered at least one reason.

Why not just approach the man yourself and let him know his dog is on its deathbed? You state you saw the guy go in, so surely you could have followed him into the store and voiced your concern before calling the cops or smashing a window. Or you could have talked with store security and gotten them to make a PA…

I have a brand new car, a car that with the push of a button turns on the car and keeps it at a cool temperature for my dog. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve come back to my car to find a person guarding it, ready to lecture me. I tell them, the dog is fine the car is on and cool. They always continue to give me…

It was a typical summer day in Oakland, which means the high was like 65 max because summer in the SF Bay area fucking blows. I was parked in the shade. All windows were cracked wide enough for the dog to stick her entire snout out. She had a bowl of water. And I was across the street at an ATM waiting on line to take…