Keep Your Kids, Pets Safe in Hot Weather

By Jessie Biele. Beth Lawton contributed reporting. 

As temperatures reach 95 degrees and beyond this week, it's worth a reminder that leaving kids and pets in hot cars has serious consequences.

It's easy to think "that could never happen to me." But it's more common than most realize — two babies tragically died in hot cars over the Fourth of July weekend in Virginia and Maryland, and according to KidsandCars.org, babies dying in hot cars happens about 38 times per year across the United States. 

In both cases earlier this month, police say, a relative forgot the babies in a car with outside temperatures hovering around 90 degrees.  

“Even with a window rolled down two inches, if the outside temperature is in the low 80s° Fahrenheit, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in only 10 minutes,” the NHTSA reports. Children’s bodies also do not regulate heat as well as adults.  

“In fact, when left in a hot vehicle, a young child's body temperature may increase three to five times as fast an adult. High body temperatures can cause permanent injury or even death.”

Here are some tips to remember from the NTHSA and KidsandCars.org:

• Put your purse, briefcase or whatever you must take out of the car with you next to the child—not in the front seat with you.
• Situate a mirror in the backseat so you can see children easily who are still small enough to be in rear-facing child seats.
• “Look Before You Lock” – make it a habit of opening the back door and looking inside every single time you get out of your car, even if you think you’re sure you don’t have a child with you.
• Put a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it’s not occupied, and move the stuffed animal to the front seat when the child is in the car seat. The stuffed animal will serve as a visual reminder in the front seat with you.
• Make sure your child’s daycare center or babysitter calls you if your child does not show up as scheduled.
• Never let your child play in an unattended vehicle. Teach your child that a car is not a play area. 
• Never leave children and babies in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open. 

Hot cars are also deadly for pets. Just last week, a Fairfax man was charged for leaving his Chihuahua in a hot vehicle. It takes only minutes for the interior temperature to reach deadly levels.  


Veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward demonstrates the effects of staying in a parked car with the windows cracked open in his latest YouTube video. 
Pet owners are urged to remember the following tips from Fairfax County:

• Never leave pets in a parked car. On a warm day, temperatures can rapidly rise to dangerous levels. If you see an animal in distress in a parked car, contact police. Even with the windows slightly open, the temperature in a car on a 93-degree day can soar to 125 degrees in just 20 minutes and approximately 140 degrees in 40 minutes.
• Shade and water are vital to pets. Pet owners must provide adequate shelter protecting animals from injury, rain, sleet, snow, hail, direct sunlight, and adverse effects of heat or cold. A dog house in the backyard with no access to shade does not protect animals from sun.
• Limit exercise on hot days. Take care to adjust intensity and duration of exercise. Watch for shortness of breath and remember that asphalt gets very hot and can burn paws; walk your dog on the grass if possible.
• If your pet shows any of the following signs contact your veterinarian immediately:
  • heavy panting
  • glazed eyes
  • rapid heartbeat
  • vomiting
  • fever
  • dizziness
  • restlessness
  • excessive thirst
  • profuse salivation
• Take steps to reduce the animal’s body temperature; apply ice packs or cold towels to the head, neck and chest, provide water and ice cubes for hydration, and move the animal into the shade or air-conditioning.