Archive

Hot Dogs and Fireworks

We are headed for a great weekend here in Ukiah, a weekend full of hot dogs and fireworks.

If you haven’t checked out Moonlight Movie Madness, this Friday is a great time to do so.

On Friday, July 1, the City of Ukiah Recreation Department–with funding from some great community sponsors–will be showing the movie “Aladdin” in the Alex R. Thomas Plaza starting at dusk. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the Fourth of July weekend than this family-friendly event. The weather is warm, it’s a three day weekend, and it’s a great chance to get out and have some fun!

But while you’re out with your family, don’t forget about your pets. We all know that fireworks can scare pets, so please remember to consider them when you’re making Fourth of July plans.

Speaking of summer and pets, please remember that leaving your dog in a car can be more than just harmful—it can be deadly. On a hot day, a car can quickly become much hotter than the outside temperature. In fact, on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature of your car can reach over 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

An animal in these high heat conditions can sustain brain damage or die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Dogs have a harder time in the heat, because they can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paws and nose.

To determine how dangerous a car can be for a dog, Stanford University studied temperatures of car interiors as compared to the ambient (outside) temperature. This study found that cars act like large ovens—even in the shade. With an outside temperature of 72 degrees, a car’s internal temperature will rocket to 116 degrees in only one hour. And surprisingly, the study found that cracking your windows does little to slow the oven effect within a car.

The hotter it is outside (shade or not), the more quickly a car’s internal temperatures can become devastating for a dog.

The website vetmedicine.about.com says if you find a dog in a car and you can find the car owner, please let the owner know how the heat can impact their pet. If you find a dog in a car in a parking lot and can’t locate an owner, please call 911 before you try to break the car window yourself.

When you call us, our dispatchers will tell you how quickly we can respond. While you wait, it’s always a good idea to let stores near the parking lot know about the dog in danger with a description of the car; stores will often make an announcement to help find the owner of a pet in distress.  

Here at the Ukiah Police Department, we are passionate about animal safety and protecting pets from harm. The penal code is clear: anyone who "tortures, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, cruelly beats, or cruelly kills any animal" can be charged with a felony. If convicted, the dog's owner could face up to three years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Please call us if you witness animal cruelty.

If you plan to travel with your pet and you need to go into an establishment that doesn’t allow pets, consider having someone in your party stay outside with your pet. If you’re alone, always shop in pet-friendly stores and use drive-through restaurants, if possible. You can find more tips on traveling with a dog at redrover.org/mydogiscool.

Here at the Ukiah Police Department, we hope you get a chance to see a movie, spend some time with your family and have a great weekend. While you do, please remember to safeguard your pets and remind others of the dangers of a hot car—and hot dogs!

As always, our mission at UPD is simple: to make Ukiah as safe as possible. If you have suggestions on how we can improve please feel free to call me. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cell phone and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website: www.ukiahpolice.com. 

 By: Chris Dewey - Chief of Police


email icon Subscribe to Ukiah Police Department Hot Topics by Email

feed icon Subscribe in a reader