Home › Forums › Open Discussion › RANT – Leaving your dog in a frozen car
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December 22, 2008 at 7:54 pm #651396
mellaw6565MemberI agree with you wholeheartedly CJ.
December 22, 2008 at 10:24 pm #651397
AnonymousInactiveI think the ASPCA “refrigerator” thing is incorrect in a couple different ways. The most objectionable thing is the comparison itself.
Do they mean after the outside temperature warms up, the interior of the car will be colder than the outside air for a time? In that case, the car would act as a cooler, not a refrigerator.
Do they mean that a parked car with the engine turned off somehow cools the air inside the car below the outside air temperature?
If one is concerned about thermodynamics and transfer of heat from the car to air, then the worst that would happen is that the inside air temperature of the car would match the outside air temperature. A refrigerator cools air below the ambient air temperature.
An animal would not freeze to death in a refrigerator. An animal could freeze to death in a freezer.
ASPCA should just drop the reference to a refrigerator.
December 22, 2008 at 11:48 pm #651398
cjboffoliParticipantScottB: You’re probably technically right about their use of the word. Though it is a pretty effective PR tool to get their idea across.
This discussion has me sufficiently intrigued about the physics of temperature on cars. Maybe we should try to get the Mythbusters on the case.
Still not sure I agree completely with your science. You seem to suggest that the limit to the temperature in and around the car could never go below the ambient air temperature. But consider how it is possible for ice to freeze on cars and roadways when the air temperature is technically above freezing.
Also, I’m not sure about your refrigerator, but the temperature in mine is set to 38 degrees. A warm blooded mammal could absolutely freeze to death at 38 degrees. In fact, you’d be surprised how quickly the human body can become hypothermic at temperatures that aren’t even nearly that cold. Your core temperature only has to fall below 95 degrees for hypothermia to set in.
December 23, 2008 at 1:19 am #651399
AnonymousInactivecjboffoli,
Here’s one scenario: Ground temperature has been below freezing for a few days, and a car’s exterior temperature is also below freezing. A warm, moist front moves in, rain falls, then freezes after contacting the road and the car.
I would not in fact be surprised by hypothermia. I suppose “freeze to death” is a colloquialism, but the phrase seems more suited to Jack London stories than death by hypothermia without freezing.
December 23, 2008 at 5:22 am #651400
JoBParticipanti say we call mythbusters. do they have a dog dummy?
December 23, 2008 at 7:48 am #651401
cjboffoliParticipantScottB: Here’s another: Four people are in the car with a dog. They’re driving in freezing temperatures but with the heat on in the car they’re cozy, even maybe sweating a bit. Their clothes are saturated with moisture from wet snow. The air inside the car is considerably more humid than the outside air on account of the warm, moist air from their respiration. They arrive at their destination, tell the dog to be a good boy, and exit the car. As the air inside the car cools and becomes less humid, the process of evaporation makes the temperature inside the car actually colder than the air outside.
JoB: They can make ANYTHING out of electronics and ballistic gel!
December 23, 2008 at 9:27 am #651402
TraciMemberI’m with CJ on this as well.
Last night (super snowy) I was shopping in the Junction… I saw MANY dogs tied up to posts while their owners shopped. They weren’t furry wintery dogs…They were short-haired, shivering, skinny dogs. How would we feel if we were chained to a freaking POLE for 30 minutes in the snow/slush/freezing rain!?!
Seriously people, get a grip!
December 23, 2008 at 3:17 pm #651403
TammiWSMemberI saw a lot tied up in the Junction yesterday as well. One on Calif. outside a hair salon (which appeared closed so maybe person was in pharmacy?).
The saddest though was the three LARGE poodles, barking, with the window open, in a car parked outside the Rocksport. Now, person may not have been in the Rocksport but….
December 23, 2008 at 5:04 pm #651404
mrhinehMemberMaybe contacting the shelters, or a vet might shed some light on how many cases they have dealt with. It gets below 20 almost every winter here in Seattle (overnights when its clear) so there must be some evidence somewhere. People do need some edgumacating here because we don’t always have snow and ice on the ground this long. But my lab loves the snow and I have drag her in out of it each day :)
Quit being cheap and buy them a coat!
December 23, 2008 at 7:49 pm #651405
JoBParticipantcj..
i have to agree with you about the potential…
but just because something could happen.. doesn’t mean that it will…
One thing we can all agree on is that people should be more aware of how the weather could adversely affect their pets and remember that things always take longer than we think they will.. and make adjustments to the way we live to account for the circumstances… and protect those we love.
wait.. that’s good advice even when if we weren’t talking about pets:)
February 3, 2009 at 10:41 pm #651406
tina98051MemberI am the breeder of that beautiful dog and you people have too much time on your hands waisting so much time speculating about the length of tim MYOB!!!!!! He didnt look distressed.
February 3, 2009 at 11:18 pm #651407
JaimeGummerMemberYeah, that sounds like the typical response when people abuse their animals and abuse their children…that it’s no one else’s business. I don’t know why I’ve wasted so much time worrying about keeping my own dogs safe and healthy when it is apparently perfectly fine to leave them in a cold car in sub-zero weather while they’re chewing and swallowing ziploc bags.
February 3, 2009 at 11:24 pm #651408
GenHillOneParticipantRavensdale represent!
Does Tim know we speculated about his length? hehehe, sorry, so sophomoric, but some typos are just giggle worthy, thanks ;)
Seriously though, yes, a) most of Western Washington had too much time on its hands while snowbound b) the photo w/icicles does make it look a bit disturbing and c) there are a whole lot of dog lovers in WS and isn’t it a little nice to know people were concerned?
Dogs are a hot topic here – there are plenty of threads to support that – and you might want to brace yourself for the breed vs. adopt debate that could start up at any moment.
February 3, 2009 at 11:28 pm #651409
ZenguyParticipantGHO, I thought the same thing about Tim but figured everyone else wouldn’t get it…that’s why like you!
February 3, 2009 at 11:39 pm #651410
flowerpetalMemberIt took me several readings to figure out who the heck Tim is. Thanks Zenguy and GHO for my afternoon laugh.
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