Big Sky Times

City of Polson recently issued the following announcement.

Reminder: Do Not Leave Animals in Vehicles During Summer Months

Every year, dogs suffer and die when their guardians make the mistake of leaving them in a parked car – even for “just a minute”- while they run an errand. Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

• Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs because they can only cool themselves by panting and by sweating through their paw pads.
• Don’t take your pooch “on a ride” if they can’t come inside. If you are driving to destinations where you cannot bring your pet inside with you, don’t bring them in the first place. Leaving them alone in a hot car will only put them at serious risk.
• When schedules are busy and you are in a hurry, you may forget to double check that your pets are safely out of the car. Even if you remember later, your pal is in serious danger in a hot car.

If it's this hot outside:it only takes this long:to reach this inside:

75º	10 minutes	100º
75º	30 minutes	120º
85º	5 minutes	90º
85º	7-8 minutes	100º
100º	15 minutes	140º

Please leave your animal(s) at home during the warmer months.

Pursuant to Montana Code Annotated (MCA) 45-8-211. Cruelty to animals. (1) A person commits the offense of cruelty to animals if, without justification, the person knowingly or negligently subjects an animal to mistreatment or neglect by: (b) carrying or confining the animal in a cruel manner; (c) failing to provide an animal in the person's custody with: (i) food and water of sufficient quantity and quality to sustain the animal's normal health; (ii) minimum protection for the animal from adverse weather conditions, with consideration given to the species

Failure could result in being cited for animal cruelty, your cooperation is appreciated.

A public service announcement from the Polson Code Compliance and the Polson Police Dept.

Original source can be found here.