By AL STOVER
Staff Reporter 

Do not leave children and pets in cars on hot days

Write to the Point

 

Last updated 7/7/2016 at 8:46am



Last week, I spoke with Medical Lake City Administrator Doug Ross and Fire Chief Jason Mayfield, who hoped the city’s residents would not be careless with lighting fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday because of the current cooler temperatures. This got me to thinking about some of the other warnings we hear about in the summer, mainly the ones relating to children and pets in hot cars.

Every year we have to be reminded about this issue and it seems like a simple task to not leave children and pets inside of a hot vehicle. However, there are several incidents where people will stop at a store for a few minutes they’ll leave their child and/or pets in the car with the window cracked open. In some instances, a person forgot their loved one was still in the vehicle.

Experts recommend that parents do not leave children and/or pets in a vehicle if it’s a bright, sunny day and temperatures are in the 60s or above. On a 78-degree day, temperatures inside a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees in 15 minutes, according to the Paws Rescue website. The website adds that a vehicle’s interior can exceed 160 degrees if it is parked in the sun.

According to noheatstroke.org, there have already been 16 heatstroke deaths of children this year in the U.S. At this time last year, there were 13 of these deaths — 24 total for the year.

Since 1998, Washington state has had five heatstroke-related child deaths. Although it’s not as high as compared to states like Texas (100), Florida (72) and California (44), that’s still five too many.

There are no statistics for heatstroke-related deaths of animals. However, there are ramifications for Washington state pet owners who leave their animals in vehicles.

In 2015, Senate Bill 5501 — the animal cruelty prevention bill — states that anyone who “leaves an unattended animal in a car, or other enclosed space, where it might be harmed by heat, cold, or lack of water or fresh air will be subject to a $125 fine” along with a civil infraction. It also authorizes “animal control officers and police to break (into the vehicle) to rescue confined animals and clears them of liability for incidental property damage.”

Some drivers will keep the air conditioning on in the car while they go into the building. One issue with this is a person might come along, see the keys in the ignition and drive away with the car without realizing the child or the pet is in the vehicle.

A couple of tips noheatstroke.org recommends to parents to make sure they don’t forget their child in the car include keeping a purse, briefcase or cell phone in the back seat next to the child. When they go back to grab their items, they’ll see the child is still there.

The website also suggests having a stuffed animal in the front seat while the child is in the back. When they take the child out of the car seat, they should put the stuffed animal in its place.

Drivers should also develop a “look before they leave” routine when they exit the vehicle.

As for pets, owners should leave their animals at home on a hot day. Before they leave, they should turn on the air conditioner and make sure their pet has plenty of fresh water.

If someone sees a child or a pet left unattended in a vehicle, they should call 911. They should also take note of the car’s make, model, color and license plate number, walk into the building and ask one of the store employees to page the owner.

They could prevent a tragedy from happening.

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.

 

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