OUR STORY

In the fall of 2018, we got a new hybrid vehicle, not only for us but for our scnoodle's (Muffin) comfort and safety. We took Muffin everywhere with us even if it was a trip to the grocery store or dining at a restaurant. Of course she couldn't go in to those establishments but she waited for our return in the comfort of our car with either the air conditioning or heat running, depending on the season.

A few weeks after obtaining our hybrid car, we decided to go on a day trip to eat at a diner in Spartanburg SC we stopped at when living in Atlanta and making trips back to North Carolina to visit family and friends. Of course we took Muffin since our 1.50 hour journey would include sightings of cows and horses along with other dogs in passing vehicles. Muffin certainly knew when we alerted her by saying "cow" or "horsey", one was in the vicinity and she was on alert. So each trip we took with Muffin was an adventure.

When we arrived at the diner, the outside temperature was 70 degrees. However I knew that 70 degrees outside would be even warmer inside a car without air conditioning, so I left the engine running and set the air conditioning temperature to 69 degrees. I also found a radio station with soothing music for Muffin's relaxation.

About 15 minutes into our meal, a man came into the diner, stopped at the door inside and announced in a very loud voice that "A dog was in a hot car outside!" So I turned around and said he must be referencing my dog in my car but the engine was running and the air conditioning was on. It really didn't concern me at that point since I thought that he may not had noticed the engine was on. However, his response to my acknowledgment was a sarcastic "Oh Yeah", as if he did not believe me. With that I stood up and offered to take him out to my car to confirm that my dog was not in a hot car but he refused by saying "No". "But I insist" was my response as a walked towards him and he had no choice but to follow me outside, all the while muttering to himself. When we got to my car, I opened the door, pointed to the instrument panel which displayed the inside temperature and a running engine. I even referenced that the radio was on. I turned to him and asked if he had any other concerns? With that, he turned away from me, still muttering under his breath and headed to his truck.

When I went back into the diner, all eyes were on me with patrons with questioning faces. So I said that I did show the man that the engine was running and the air conditioning was on. One male patron spoke up and said "I would have busted out the window." I kept my calm and didn't respond or acknowledge his comment. However, I was thinking both men would not listen to reason when proven so it would be a waste of my time and they obviously had anger management and/or power issues anyway and would never acknowledge being wrong about anything.

After this incident, I wondered if I should make a homemade sign, put it on the dash of the car and state the motor was running and the air conditioning was on. But that would alert potential car thieves of an easy steal along with my dog so that was not feasible. I thought I could not be the only dog owner to leave their dog in a climate-controlled car and have others think a dog was in a hot car. This issue was constantly on my mind and I had to come up with a solution. Thus, dogsafe.org was born. By putting our decals in car windows or on car bumpers, it alerts others to our website which states your dog is in a dog safe climate-controlled vehicle and to look through the car windows for active instrument panels displaying interior temperatures and running engines. If a vehicle is hybrid, engines are quieter than gas or diesel powered engines and are more difficult to hear. I believe that may have been the case with the man at the diner who accused me of leaving my dog in a hot car. Combine that with nearby traffic noise, a majority of people assume that the engine is off.

Repeating this story to my hairdresser, she stated she and her husband encountered a similar situation when returning to their SUV while their dog was inside the vehicle in a mall parking lot. They had left the air conditioning on but also cracked the windows about an inch too. Upon approaching their SUV, a local policeman and woman were waiting for them. They opened the doors and showed the air conditioning was on. Striking up a conversation with the policeman, my hairdresser's husband, who is a deputy for a neighboring county sheriff's department and also writes books on their dog breed, the policeman said their dog was in a better environment than his working environment. The woman obviously wanted to prove them wrong and started to put her finger in the window inch crack and was quickly warned she might want to keep her finger.

What can I say? My incident was not isolated. Others have told similar stories. So I hope our decals help you and your dog to continue to take trips while alerting the public that your dog is safe.