I was influenced by a bumper sticker.
Last weekend, I went up to drop my laptop off to Ryan & Andy at the markets to get it all cleaned up and de-virused when I got stuck behind a ute with a bumper sticker on the back saying something along the lines of it only taking x-number of minutes for a dog to die when locked in a hot car, and that the temperature can double in five (?) minutes.
Anyway, I was kind of vaguely interested because it wasn't a bumper sticker along the lines of "AUSTRALIA - Love it or leave it" or "Kevin '07" or a Southern Cross or something, and eventually I lost the ute and went about my daily life.
This weekend, I was leaving work. When I got to my car, I realised the car next to me had a dog in it. Being somewhat of a dog person I made doggy noises at it and got in my car, started the ignition etc. and then looked at my temperature display in my dashboard. According to my car, it was 31 degrees outside. I looked over at this dog in this car and can't help thinking how hot it must be for him and that I would feel preeeetty freaking horrible if something happened to him.
So I actually dropped what I was doing and went back to work and kind of roused a few people from work and neighbouring businesses to check around after whose car it was. After half an hour, I tried calling the RSPCA (no answer), then the local council (nobody there!), and finally the non-emergency police line. They took a sort of statement from me and said they'd send a police car down to check it out. Anyway, turned out it was some dickhead in the real estate agent's office making a property deal. That dog was sitting in his car with a window half-rolled down for 45 minutes, no shade, height of the Australian summer while this tosser wanked on about buying or selling property. He was so pissy when he finally came out and drove away, there were people standing all around his car, glaring. The lady from the beautician gave him a erm...honest assessment of his character and he just drove off. Damn straight. I called the police and told them he'd taken the car and not to bother coming down etc. all's well that ends well.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't've thought twice about a dog in a car if not for that bumper sticker. Kudos lady with bumper sticker, between us we might've stopped something bad happening to that doggie.
Anyway, I was kind of vaguely interested because it wasn't a bumper sticker along the lines of "AUSTRALIA - Love it or leave it" or "Kevin '07" or a Southern Cross or something, and eventually I lost the ute and went about my daily life.
This weekend, I was leaving work. When I got to my car, I realised the car next to me had a dog in it. Being somewhat of a dog person I made doggy noises at it and got in my car, started the ignition etc. and then looked at my temperature display in my dashboard. According to my car, it was 31 degrees outside. I looked over at this dog in this car and can't help thinking how hot it must be for him and that I would feel preeeetty freaking horrible if something happened to him.
So I actually dropped what I was doing and went back to work and kind of roused a few people from work and neighbouring businesses to check around after whose car it was. After half an hour, I tried calling the RSPCA (no answer), then the local council (nobody there!), and finally the non-emergency police line. They took a sort of statement from me and said they'd send a police car down to check it out. Anyway, turned out it was some dickhead in the real estate agent's office making a property deal. That dog was sitting in his car with a window half-rolled down for 45 minutes, no shade, height of the Australian summer while this tosser wanked on about buying or selling property. He was so pissy when he finally came out and drove away, there were people standing all around his car, glaring. The lady from the beautician gave him a erm...honest assessment of his character and he just drove off. Damn straight. I called the police and told them he'd taken the car and not to bother coming down etc. all's well that ends well.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't've thought twice about a dog in a car if not for that bumper sticker. Kudos lady with bumper sticker, between us we might've stopped something bad happening to that doggie.