Mary Bale - cat in a wheelie bin

[LMH]

Dusty, has Steve edited his post before you copied it? because, not sure it's me but I couldn't see the final paragraphs.

I find this comment disturbing:

'At best a dog in a hot car will survive and be rehoused'.

This proves your system is not safe:
But that didn't stop the "do gooder" shutting the boot glass on our car to cook the dog because the police didn't agree with her.

Lisa


Lisa

 

[Dustydog]

Dusty, has Steve edited his post before you copied it? because, not sure it's me but I couldn't see the final paragraphs.

I find this comment disturbing:

'At best a dog in a hot car will survive and be rehoused'.

This proves your system is not safe:
But that didn't stop the "do gooder" shutting the boot glass on our car to cook the dog because the police didn't agree with her.

Lisa


Lisa

There have been cases of dogs becoming distressed in hot cars , even in the winter, but only because the sun has started shing and the solar gain through the cars roof and body has raised the temperature quite considerably.
At best a dog in a hot car will survive and be rehoused whilst the owner will be banned from keeping dogs. The worst is death.

Steve I understand you are very careful but for my part I have a very simple rule that the dogs do not stay in the car unattended. The "do gooders" to use your words are probably pet lovers and are putting the animals welfare first.
Why take a chance and expose you and your dog to all the aggro that goes with having to face the police, RSPCA etc.

 

[Dustydog]

Lisa
I messed it up . Here's my post unedited by Steve:-

There have been cases of dogs becoming distressed in hot cars , even in the winter, but only because the sun has started shing and the solar gain through the cars roof and body has raised the temperature quite considerably.
At best a dog in a hot car will survive and be rehoused whilst the owner will be banned from keeping dogs. The worst is death.

Steve I understand you are very careful but for my part I have a very simple rule that the dogs do not stay in the car unattended. The "do gooders" to use your words are probably pet lovers and are putting the animals welfare first.
Why take a chance and expose you and your dog to all the aggro that goes with having to face the police, RSPCA etc.

There are a few exceptions where I may leave the dogs in the car such as The Eden Project in Cornwall. They have a specially built garage which shelters the dogs and car from direct light. The windows can be left partially open, plenty of water can be left in the car and the area is regularly patrolled by staff. The facility I believe was designed with help from the RSPCA and qualified Vets.

 

[Steve L]

I only leave my dog in the car when there is no other option. I leave the windows down and the boot glass open in all weathers. Also I have on the car notices stating that there is a dog in the car and that I do check on him. Also I supply my mobile telephone number for people to ring if they are concerned. Not once in the last ten years has a member of the public rang me about the car or dog, but I have had police call to say they have been contacted.

That is why I used the term "doo gooders", because if they realy cared they would ring me first rather than ring police who take half an hour or more to respond.

I must be the odd one out, but if I see something wrong I will speak up my self directly to the person or persons concerned.

 

[Dustydog]

I only leave my dog in the car when there is no other option. I leave the windows down and the boot glass open in all weathers. Also I have on the car notices stating that there is a dog in the car and that I do check on him. Also I supply my mobile telephone number for people to ring if they are concerned. Not once in the last ten years has a member of the public rang me about the car or dog, but I have had police call to say they have been contacted.

That is why I used the term "doo gooders", because if they realy cared they would ring me first rather than ring police who take half an hour or more to respond.

I must be the odd one out, but if I see something wrong I will speak up my self directly to the person or persons concerned.

Steve
Just an aside here. If your car was stolen do you think your Insurers would pay up if they knew the car was open?

 

[LMH]

Steve, is the dog secured in the car, and if so, how? Also, you're inadvertently using up valuable police time, ever thought about that?

Am I going completely mad here, I thought your post also said the police take half an hour to respond.......

Lisa

 

[Steve L]

I am very aware of the wasted police time on this one, but as I've already explained the police are more than happy with the conditions in the car and state quite openly that my car is better equipped than even their own RSPCA approoved vehicles.

However if the "public" cannot read the notes on the car and contact me directly then it is they who waste the tax payer's money.

Yes dusty the car is locked and the dog is protected from the public, rather than the public protected from him. (get my drift?).

The interior of the car is again secure and seperate from the dog area due to a load mesh. Therefore to gain entry as all the electric windows are switched off and the doors electronically dead locked, a thief would have to smash the glass.

As I cannot trust the (do gooders) to leave the boot window alone now, I have invested in a bar lock simlar to what you see on police dog estate cars, but mine is a lot longer, allowing the window to be horizontal, so that I can put a cover on that to create shade.

As the car is still locked I'm satisfied no one will attempt to steal it or enter it. If my insurance refused to pay out then I would have to accept that. The wellfare and comfort of my dog is far more important to me than a 3K car.

It's a great pitty that super markets don't follow the lead set by the Eden project and provide shelter for dog cars. On the day i went there though, some sports car owners thought it fit to park their cars in the shaded dog parking, just incase it "rain'd".

I have over the summer frequently asked my local M supermarket manager to park his and other staff cars away from the tree shaded spots so that dog owners can park in the shade. But as you would expect! It fell on deaf ears.

 

[LMH]

police are more than happy with the conditions in the car and state quite openly that my car is better equipped than even their own RSPCA approoved vehicles.

Maybe you should contact the Force Headquarters then, might be some work in it for you, designing police dog vehicles or making modifications to them, plus all with your experience with performance cars etc, a money spinner I think.

Lisa

 

[Carl-GreyhoundsrUs]

I am not sure why the police should be considered to be qualified to give advice on animal welfare, especially as they themselves have lost a dog by leaving it in a vehicle designed for carrying dogs. Even taking precautions, dogs should not be left in cars for any length of time full stop. I can only assume that people have phoned the police rather than a random number left on a car as they do not fancy confronting some stranger who may well punch them on the nose for poking it in. Just a thought.

 

[Steve L]

I do share your reservations about the suitability of the police to comment, but we do have to accept what they say.

I can understand people not knocking on doors but ringing a mobile phone number instead of dialing 999, seems to be deliberate mischief making. The people concerned in this case are residents of an old persons complex where they are cared for by wardens. Unfortunately it is policy of the said wardens that bar's dogs from the premises.

Perhaps the wardens who do the dialing would be better deployed creating occupational therapy for the residents instead of banning them from card playing, darts, snooker and tea dances, just incase they injure someone. Straight up! They have banned all of those activities and not developed alternative recreational hobbies to occupy the residents minds. No wonder they go gaga.

We used to take our dogs to old people's homes for petting sessions, but apparently labradors are dangerous these days. The oldies used to love having the dogs round and they enjoyed our company too.

Atb steve L.

 

[Parksy]

Don't forget that your Labrador is 'security trained' though Steve

Maybe the staff at the complex just think that your Labrador might be dangerous

Only Kidding - couldn't resist

 

[Dustydog]

Steve with your dark racing glasses you could always claim your lab is a guide dog

 

[LMH]

I take it that this is a regular occurance, people ringing the police to say a dog has been left in a car? I thought when you made your post a few weeks ago, you were visiting a relative and ended up putting the dog in your relatives yard after it had had a swim?

I'm not being funny or owt, but if you're not careful, too many calls to the police and you might end up at the minimum, getting a warning, or, if the police want to be particularly arsey, could report you to the RSPCA. I know the police round my way would do that without hesitation as we are really quite short on manpower and the last thing they want is to be continuously bothered about something which could have been avoided in the first place.

Anyway Steve, have you considered registering your dog as a PAT dog? Providing you and your dog passed the tests, I'm sure you'd both love it. There are a number of tests the dog has to pass. I did send for the paperwork and was going to register my little dog but after thinking about it, it was just one more committment which I couldn't really fit in.

I don't think the home were being awkward with you, but it's not really advisable to take ANY dog into a home or similar for any type of residents without the animal being checked out for temperament first and foremost and then the assurance that the dog has been trained and passed the intensive testing necessary.. That's why these places tend to accept visiting PAT dogs.

Guide dogs/assistance dogs might be in a supported living environment but they are working dogs, not dogs for petting.

The only thing which might bar your dog and I'm not sure on this, is that as he has had secruity dog training and is classed as a security dog, he might not be eligible to become a PAT dog. But you could always ask, if you're interested, which I'm sure you are given your comments above.

Another thing as well, if your dog is insured, I hope you've notified the insurers that your dog has been trained as a security dog, as I have both mine insured with different companies and I was reading through the policy documents the other week. You have to notify your insurance company if its trained in security, as I think I am correct, but not entirely sure, if you have normal 'pet' insurance, your insurance would become void if they found out.

Lisa

 

[Dustydog]

Lisa
An excellent point you raise. See below from R&SA Pet policy. Most are very similar.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
D.

You
must always give true and complete information about
your pet


.
Using the contact details provided with

your policy schedule
you
must tell

us within 30 days as soon as you
know about any of the
following changes:
•

you
are no longer the owner of the pet
•

your pet stops living with you at your
home
•

your pet
is going to be used for racing
•

your pet
has had complaints made about its behaviour
•

your pet
has been the cause of an accident or legal action
•

your pet
is going to be trained to attack
•

your pet
is going to be used for security purposes or as a
guard dog
•

your
pet is neutered or spayed

 

[LMH]

Thanks Dusty.

The only point I don't understand is why you have to advise them that your pet has been castrated or speyed. The benefits of both far outway keeping them entire. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, people who have their pets castrated or speyed should be offered a small discount. I know most policies don't cover any problems arising from castration or spaying.

Lisa x

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks Dusty.

The only point I don't understand is why you have to advise them that your pet has been castrated or speyed. The benefits of both far outway keeping them entire. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, people who have their pets castrated or speyed should be offered a small discount. I know most policies don't cover any problems arising from castration or spaying.

Lisa x

Lisa
All I know is speyed or castrated bitches / dogs have a propensity to put on weight and have bladder problems later in life. Personally none of my bitches have shown these problems whether done or not.

 

[LMH]

That's interesting Dusty, I have one of each here, no weight gains, the ***** is 11, no probs with her, the dog's five. Guess it depends on the dog/circumstances.