Yep, I'd talk to the gym about letting dogs in to use the thread mills too.

As to freezing temps?
Watch when the weather gets a little warmer, say 45 or 50 degrees with the sun shinning. A closed car can become more then a bit uncomfortable for an animal or small child, they become death traps in short order.
Then you should get upset and worried about a closed car.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Talk about keying a truck. Ever seen a dog-clawing on a vehicle's shiny sides?

Yes, and it was my beautiful black '78 Cougar XR-7. It was decades ago and it was my first puppy as an adult, and I had never heard of crates, so I had left my not-housebroken puppy loose in the garage for a short while. Fortunately, the scratches came out (with a lot of rubbing compound and elbow grease) AND, even more fortunately, I soon took the puppy to some training classes at a wonderful facility and learned all about crates!

As to the OP, what I would probably have done is nothing. I've been barked at in parking lots by dogs in cars. They're just protecting their territory. I agree that extreme heat is different than cold. I would not be concerned about a dog inside a closed car at 20 degrees, when it's obvious that the owner is at the gym or doing other errands. I think most people are in and out of the gym in an hour or so. Now, 20 below might be a different situation, as would a car that appeared to be abandoned, etc.

But, Dana, don't spend too much time second-guessing yourself. You made a decision that seemed like the right one at the time, and it was made out of a concern for the dog's welfare. There are worse things.

Edited by Cheri Grissom (01/20/2011 01:50 PM)
Edit reason: rephrase something

Thanks everyone.

Cheri & Jessica - I'm trying hard not to second guess myself, but I think it's part of my basic nature. I do think I made the right decision based on what I saw. I also think that since we rarely have such freezing temps for so many days that it was a big factor for me - we're just not used to them.

Dana, to err on the side of doing something rather than doing nothing is admirable, imo.

2pennies from a Canuck,

I wouldn't be concerned about someone letting a dog in a car during winter here in Québec where temperatures can reach -10f easily, and go as low as -25f when factoring winds.

There are people over here that leave their dog kenneled OUTSIDE 24/7. While I don't condone this behavior, I'm positive no dog ever froze over to death in my area under these conditions. Can't say I envy their position, though.

That said, 20f is actually a pretty comfortable temperature for our furry friends if they're protected from the winds.

I'd personally never leave a dog unsupervised in my car, but at 20 degrees I'd be much more worried about the seats than the dog's safety.

But in the heat? Totally get this guy in trouble for being an idiot.

 Quote: Meredith Hamilton

Dana, to err on the side of doing something rather than doing nothing is admirable, imo.

Thanks, Meredith. I appreciate that.

 Quote: Dana Martin

However, I still think I would call the cops if it happened again :-) because I think it's just wrong.

Why is it wrong?

My dogs ride along in the car about 80% of the time. Right now I'm in classes 3 days a week and all three dogs are out in the car while I'm in class. The time varies from 3-4.5 hours. The temps vary from about 12F-35F this time of year. They love it, (judging by their reaction every time I ask if they want to go for a ride) The two younger dogs have crates and my older dog curls up on the back seat. The dogs are all safe and happy and I can get them out on the campus to work them in a new area if I've got some extra time. IMO, it's a win/win situation.

So to answer your question, no I wouldn't call the cops.

Washington animal welfare ordinances vary by city, but I'm only aware of warm-weather prohibitions against leaving animals in cars.

Dana how do you feel about dogs that live outside?