Parking in the shade on a sunny day won’t necessarily save a pet left in the car from heatstroke, or worse.
A new study of temperatures inside parked cars shows that a car parked in the sun would reach lethal temperatures faster than one parked in the shade, but even in a shaded car, heat buildup could prove deadly.
Source: AAHA NEWStat, May 31, 2018. Link.
Dr. Ernie Ward, DVM, CVFT posted a now famous You Tube video of himself sitting in a car parked in the sun for 30 minutes to see how hot it would get. Video link. The AVMA reports that temperatures inside a parked car can rise 20 degrees in only 10 minutes.
Also see: Hot car temperatures kill pets. Animal Health Digest, February 6, 2017. Link.
There can be as much as a 40- to 50-degree difference between what’s outside and inside.
INSIGHTS: Retailers and veterinary locations might consider having someone walk the parking lot two to three times per hour to check for pets at risk of overheating.