Newsday: A Valley Stream man is facing an animal cruelty charge after authorities said his dog died after he allegedly left the pet alone in a hot car for hours. Authorities said defendant Ian Kassof, 36, had adopted the pit bull/boxer mix six months ago from the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, where the animal was known as Fluffy.

I know, I hate reading and hearing about these tragedies, but, in sharing hopefully a dog or more will be saved. I have a theory about these horrific incidents and it has less to do with neglect and stupidity and more to do with people acquiring pets when they really don't have enough time and space in their lives to provide the attention -- the individual attention -- dogs (and cats) need to thrive and survive. Too often, a pet is squeezed into a complex busy life and people end up multi-tasking, thinking they're spending quality time with their dog in particular when really they are just risking that animal's life and, ultimately, not providing any quality of life.

As an example, in this case and according to the article " Defense attorney Anthony Rattoballi of Valley Stream said his client, a utility company worker with no prior criminal convictions, pleaded not guilty Wednesday. He said Kassof left all his car windows down 5 inches, and walked the dog and gave it water at lunchtime. "It was about 70 degrees, and he didn't know the dog was in danger. . . . He's as upset as any other dog owner would be," Rattoballi said."

There is a lot of pressure "out there" to adopt homeless pets. Lots of social media pressure, peer pressure. Its the most uncaring person who can read their twitter feed, watch local news, check in on Facebook, and not feel the need to adopt. And of course that's good, great, we want to save lives and give the homeless pets new homes. But in the rush to respond to that pull to save a life, are people adopting when they really don't have the means - financial and time/life-style - to add a living creature to their homes?

I'm not sure and that's a hot topic for another time. I do know, many New Yorker's especially lead busy lives and MANY multi-task with their dogs. They bring them along and then leave them tethered outside shops, restaurants, etc., or, they leave them in cars.



The Take-Away: Here's what I hope to convey in writing this article: Simply DON'T MULTI-TASK. Never leave your dog in your car - not even in great, cool weather. Never leave your dog tied outside anywhere for any amount of time. It only takes moments for a dog to be stolen. And in a car, when the temperature rises (and it doesn't have to be a heat wave) the dog can easily die or suffer permanent damage.

For more information on the dangers of heat and cars as well as other situations that could put your pet in jeopardy, please read: Dog Care: Your Car is an Oven!
by the American Animal Hospital Association

Excerpt: Cracking the windows doesn't cut it
"So where are the danger zones? The most obvious is your car: It can become a death trap even on a mild sunny day--and can insidiously raise the car's temperature to well above 120 degrees! Never, ever leave your pet inside the car. If Fido can't come with you when you get out of the car, leave him at home.
What are some other dangerous situations for your pets? Leaving animals outdoors without shelter is just as dangerous as leaving them inside a hot car. Be sure they are not left in a cage in the hot sun, on a chain in the backyard, or outdoors in a run without sufficient shade or air circulation."