Cruelty Alert: Pets Suffering from Heatstroke in Parked Cars

As many parts of the country struggle with recent heat waves, we’ve all seen the disturbing news reports of pets, mostly dogs, dying from heatstroke as a result of being left in parked cars. Just last week, a Bronx, NY, man left his Maltese in his van—with the windows cracked—while he went for a swim at a state park. The temperature inside the van climbed to 140 degrees and despite intervention by park police, the dog didn’t survive.

Even on a relatively mild 85-degree day, it takes only 10 minutes for the interior of a car to reach 102 degrees—and within 30 minutes, the inside of the car can be a staggering 120 degrees. Leaving windows open a few inches does not help. Furthermore, when it comes to the body’s ability to cool itself, canine physiology is vastly different from ours. While humans have sweat glands all over our bodies that help regulate our body heat, dogs cool down mostly by panting, which is much less efficient than sweating. In only a short amount of time, a dog with a high body temperature can suffer critical damage to his nervous system, heart, liver and brain.

At least 14 states and many municipalities have enacted laws to address the problem of animals left in cars in extreme temperatures. Under these laws, police, animal control agents, peace officers and others may be authorized to enter a vehicle by whatever means necessary to remove an animal. “I would recommend that if your state doesn’t have a specific law addressing animals left in hot cars that you still call law enforcement, because it may be considered animal cruelty under your state or local laws,” says Jill Buckley, Senior Director of ASPCA Government Relations & Mediation.

If you’re out and about on a hot day and see an animal alone in a car, you should immediately try to find the car’s owner. If you have no luck, or if the owner refuses to act, contact local law enforcement and/or animal control.

“The important thing is to get the dog out of the car, keeping in mind that you shouldn’t put your life in danger, either!” says Buckley, who keeps a few copies of the ASPCA’s Pets in Hot Cars flyer (pdf) in her glovebox to give out when appropriate. Please print and distribute these flyers (pdf) in your neighborhood to help educate people about the danger of leaving pets in hot cars.

ASPCA

Related:

Temperatures Are Rising: Be a Dog Defender: Help Save Animals This Summer!  Cool Ideas for Hot Dogs -  Please be proactive and vocal… you could be saving a life and definitely saving animals of a lot of suffering!!

Posted:  Just One More Pet

10 Great American Animal Races

Growing up in upstate New York, my dad and I would go to the Saratoga Races every August. There’s nothing like watching your horse come around the final turn, battling for the lead. So events like this weekend’s Preakness Stakes always bring back some very cool memories.

But horses aren’t the only animals with a racing tradition. Here are ten examples.

1. Calaveras County Jumping Frogs

These high-jumping amphibians, made famous by Mark Twain, are actually battling it out right now. The Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee began on Thursday. If you hurry, you may still be able to get a bet in.

2. Ostrich Festival Races (Chandler, Arizona)

Did you know Ostriches can exceed speeds of 40 miles per hour? The good folks of Chandler, Arizona, do. I’d love to see this one, just to see what kind of wacky jockey decides to sit on an Ostrich. I’m thinking there may be alcohol involved.

3. Armadillo Races (Edgewood, Texas)

Imagine little round knights in not-so-shiny armor, racing around a dirt track. Sounds kinda cute. Although I’ve read they grow to 2 1/2 feet. That’s considerably less cute. Armadillo racing became popular in Texas in the 1970s, and the Armadillo World Headquarters is in Austin. (You heard me…the Armadillo World Headquarters.) Guess they’re mighty proud of their armored mammals down in Texas.

4. Camel Races (Virginia City, Nevada)

You wouldn’t think there would be camel races in the United States. Then again, we do have a big desert, so why not? The Virginia City Camel Races are a nostalgic reminder of the Comstock Lode, the first large discovery of silver ore in the U.S., when I suppose they used Camels to transport the silver. According to the official website, they also race ostriches and emus, because that’s how they roll in Nevada.

5. Cockroach Races

This is one of the slimier races I’ve come across. The annual cockroach races are held by the entomology club at Iowa State University. And if you’ve ever hung out with the members of the Iowa Stae Entomology Club, you know this is one rockin’ event. They also put on

something called the Insect Horror Film Festival, which features gourmet insect tastings. Who says there’s nothing to do in Iowa in October?

6. Lizard Races (Lovington, New Mexico)

How do you celebrate the 4th of July, with fireworks? How last season. The folks in Lovington, New Mexico, like a few lizard races with their barbeque. The Chaparral Park speedway is apparently the world’s premiere mini-reptile racetrack (Go USA!). And there’s a colorful history to the event, as well.

At the inaugural race in 1976, the lizards, frightened by the big crowds and flashbulbs, apparently started to eat each other (you can’t make this stuff up).

Modifications to the track and crowd placement have decreased the reptile carnage in recent years. But there’s always a chance one of the little guys will go all Godzilla on the competition.

7. Wiener Dog Races (Buda, Texas)

Who doesn’t love wiener dogs? Not only do they look great dressed up for Halloween, but you can also make a little extra cash with them at the track. Head down to Buda, Texas, in April, and you’ll enjoy the annual wiener dog race (and parade!), as well as the yearly chili cookoff.

8. Lobster Races (Aiken, South Carolina)

You would think an annual lobster race would be held in Maine, but the city of Aiken, South Carolina, has been racin’ crustaceans – that’s right, the Aiken racin’ crustaceans – since 1985 as a spoof of the Kentucky Derby. This year’s race, which just happened a couple weeks ago, drew close to 10,000 fans.

9. 4th of July Celebration & Porcupine Race (Council, Idaho)

Squeeze this one in between visits to the Potato Museum and Philo Farnsworth’s home. The race is held each year for charity, but I’m sure

a few dollars need to be taken out for bandaids, just in case any participants make their way into the crowd.

10. Great Alaskan Pig Races

And we end our collection of Great American Animal Races in the 49th state. Why race pigs in Alaska, you ask? If you had to pick something other than dog sled teams, you’d think moose, or elk. Something that represents the state, right? At least, I did. But Alaskans appear to prefer pigs. They’re quick little guys, too. And in these races, there are hurdles. I may need to find a Vegas sports book that takes pork action.

10 Great American Animal Races by Mario Marsicano

2010 Wienerschnitzel Wiener Races

Living the Life of Riley – Wiener Nationals

Northern California Wiener National Series

Old World Dachshund Races

Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals

Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals

When: August 28, 2010 - Registration/Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. - First Races begin at 9:00 a.m. Where: Qualcomm Stadium Rugby Fields (Near Section J-5 in the Stadium Parking Lot) SIGN UP YOUR DOG TODAY! The 14th annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals kicks off in San Diego on Saturday, August 28th at Qualcomm Stadium. The top sixteen dogs from the qualifying round will advance to the San Diego final in September. The top dog from San Diego will advance to the championship at the Port of San Diego Big Bay Balloon Parade presented by the San Diego County Credit Union on December 30. This year’s finalists will receive the opportunity to march with the Wienerschnitzel float in the nationally televised parade. Any dachshund may participate! Admission to the event is free to humans and non-racing dogs. SIGN UP YOUR DOG TODAY! Entry There is a $7 pre-registration entry fee per racing dog and the entry fee includes one owner t-shirt (guaranteed for pre-registered dogs only). The pre-registration deadline is August 20. Online registration will open in July on our website. Late registrations will be accepted from 8/21 to 8/26 for a fee of $10. Day-of registration is $10. Online registration will close August 26th at noon, but we will accept walk-up registration the day of the event. Event Day entry is CASH ONLY! *This is a rain or shine event. There will be no refunds for this event. Vendor Opportunities The Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals accept vendors with animal related causes and products. In order to view the races, all dogs and their owners must walk through vendor village. This year’s event is expected to draw more than 300 dachshunds and their owners from all around Southern California. Races are free for rescue dogs. No human food vendors please. For more information on Vendor and Rescue Opportunities, please e-mail katharine@holidaybowl.com Living the Life of Riley – Wiener Nationals Northern California Wiener National Series Old World Dachshund Races

Iran cleric says dogs "unclean" and not to be kept as pets

TEHRAN | Sat Jun 19, 2010 5:33am EDT

(Reuters) – A senior Iranian cleric has decreed dogs are “unclean” and should not be kept as pets — a move aimed at discouraging Western-style dog ownership in the Islamic state, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Dogs are considered “unclean” under Islamic tradition but, while relatively rare in Iran, some people do keep them as pets.

By issuing a fatwa — a religious ruling — Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has sent a clear message that this trend must stop.

“Friendship with dogs is a blind imitation of the West,” he was quoted as saying in Javan daily. “There are lots of people in the West who love their dogs more than their wives and children.”

Guard dogs and sheep dogs are considered acceptable under Islamic law but Iranians who carry dogs in their cars or take them to public parks can be stopped by police and fined.

The Koran does not explicitly prohibit contact with dogs, Shirazi said, but Islamic tradition showed it to be so. “We have lots of narrations in Islam that say dogs are unclean.”

The interpretation of religious rules on personal conduct is a constant source of debate and potential conflict in Iran which has been an Islamic republic since a revolution ousted the Western-backed Shah in 1979.

In a television interview last week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad weighed in on the issue of the Islamic dress code, saying women who fail to cover their hair completely should not be harassed by the police.

Morality police are conducting their annual crackdown and women who reveal strands of hair are liable to be stopped in the streets for failing to respect the dress code, or “hijab.”

Ahmadinejad’s surprisingly liberal view was condemned by fellow hard-liner politicians and senior clerics “I wish he had not said those words about the hijab,” Grand Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati told the faithful during the week’s Friday prayers, in a rare criticism of the president.

“We are grappling with many problems including economic and political ones but the issues of morality and ethical security are among the important issues that cannot be ignored,” he said.

Tehran University has set up a thinktank “to investigate the problems related to hijab,” the representative of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the university announced on Monday.

By Robin Pomeroy – Reuters

(Editing by Matthew Jones)

Related:

–> 1 Million Stray Dogs in Iraq to be Culled <–

–> Operation Bagdad Pups -  No Buddy Gets Left Behind  <–

Posted:  Just One More Pet -  Cross-Posted:  Marion’s Place

Penny was shot and survived…