Keep your dog out of parked cars. You only meant to be gone a minute. But once in the store, you got distracted, you forgot just how hot it was outside, and by the time you came back, a crowd was around your car. This time you were lucky. A broken window, the scowls of onlookers, but your dog is alive. Next time he might not be.

Studies show that the temperature inside cars can heat to lethal temperatures within 30 minutes even if the weather outside is relatively cool. Regardless of outside air temperature, cars heat up at a similar rate – gaining 80 percent of their final temperature within 30 minutes. Cars that start at a comfortable 72 degrees F (22°C), for example, soar to a deadly 117 degrees F (47°C) after 60 minutes in the sun. Cracking the windows scarcely affects the temperature inside.

Nobody keeps statistics on dog deaths from being left in cars, but about 30 to 40 children die in parked cars each year. Considering that dogs aren’t allowed in most places children are, and that dogs overheat more quickly than children, it’s likely that hundreds of dogs die in closed cars every year.

Be prepared for travel emergencies. You’re driving with your dog on a hot day, enjoying the air conditioning. Suddenly the car dies. As you wait for help, the temperature is rising, and your dog is starting to get overheated. If you have water, offer some to him, and pour some over him. Next time, prepare by bringing a cooler with ice and a small car-battery-powered fan. Soak your dog and a towel in ice water, have him sit on the towel, and aim the fan at him. Air blowing over your dog’s wet skin and fur cools him just as your sweat in a breeze cools you.

Provide for comfort at home. You left your dog in the yard, but the day turned out hotter than you expected. Next time, provide for your dog’s comfort before you leave. Be sure he has a place that’s shady all day long. Buy a kiddy pool and fill it with water so he can soak in it and cool off. If possible, aim a fan at him from a sheltered place so he has a breeze. If your dog is left inside, you may need to run the air conditioning, or at least a fan. If the weather is very hot, you may need to find a way to guard against electrical outages while you’re away. Some pets have died when the electricity, and thus air conditioning, unexpectedly went off during the day.

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