Dear editor,
In response to the riled dog owner who left his dog in his car on an extremely hot day, I think he is rewriting history.
As I was entering Costco last Saturday, I passed a dark-coloured vehicle parked next to the building with a large dog inside who was barking incessantly.
The windows were down no more than three inches on each side. The temperature outside was extremely hot.
I did my shopping and when I came out approximately 25 minutes later, the dog was still barking non-stop. I re-entered the store and spoke with a staff person about my concerns for the animal.
When she and I returned to the vehicle, a small group had gathered around the vehicle due to the continuous barking, and out of concern for the animal.
At that point, knowing that attention had been drawn to the situation, I left the parking lot. It seems that several others behind me found a need to take care of the dog.
The idea that a car will remain cool after 35 minutes in the hot sun is completely unrealistic and some water in a bowl will not keep an overheated animal from expiring. Try sitting in your car in the heat for a few minutes with the air conditioning off and see what happens.
It is too bad that people were abusive to the individual. I think that this was their distress talking.
In this day and age, there is no excuse for leaving pets in a vehicle in the heat or the cold for that matter. Do your errands first and then go home and take your dog for a walk.
Deborah Joyce,
Comox