Statewide Iowa — Forecasters say temperatures across much of Iowa will be climbing into the low to mid 90s for the next several days and pet owners are being reminded about what should be obvious by now.
Four dogs were left in hot vehicles in Des Moines last weekend. Joe Stafford, Director of Animal Services at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, says in one case, two dogs were trapped in a locked car at Blank Park Zoo.
The owner of the vehicle was paged in the zoo but didn’t respond, so police broke out a window to rescue the animals, both of which were conscious but with very high body temperatures.
In the other case, two dogs were left in a vehicle at Merle Hay Mall. In addition to having broken windows, each of the owners were issued citations for neglect. Leaving a window cracked open does virtually no good for cooling the passenger compartment, Stafford says, and neither does parking in the shade.
In his 20-plus years in the industry, Stafford says he hears about cases like these every summer and he’s confounded as to why some pet owners don’t ever seem to get the message.
He urges Iowans, if you see a pet or a child alone in a car, call it in, as your action could save a life. For more information on summer pet safety tips CLICK HERE.
