Dogs are humankind’s oldest friend. Back when we were ungainly two-legged things foraging for food with spears, canines were the one animal that saw our potential. “You know,” one dog said to another. “If anyone can invent a car, I’ll bet its those two-legged things.” It took another 30,000 years but we did build cars and dogs love them.

Now the Weather Channel writes about dogs in cars. They love the four-wheeled go-machine but cars don’t always love them. In the summer time heat and humidity can be fatal. The Weather Channel has more details but its summary is correct and worth repeating: If Fido can’t come with you when you reach your destination, leave the dog at home. A cracked window does not offer relief.

From the South Tampa Patch we have an experiment that demonstrates the problem. The reporter parked a car and cracked a window. The day was 83 degrees and overcast. He measured the temperature inside the vehicle and this is what happened:

After Five Minutes: The temperature rose to 86 degrees.

After Ten Minutes: The temperature rose to 90 degrees.

After Thirty Minutes: The temperature rose to 100.

After An Hour: The Temperature rose to 110 degrees inside the car.

Remember, we started with a 83 degree overcast day and in a short time, conditions inside the parked vehicle were lethal. Yes, humans invented cars and dogs love them but there’s another invention they love even more: air conditioning.  If he can’t join you when you get there, leave him at home.