Many dog owners might want to bring their pups everywhere they go, but they might want to rethink that when the weather gets warmer.
Mans best friend might be great for things like running, disc golf, or chasing squirrels, but they may not be the best to leave in the car.
That's because in the summertime, temperatures inside vehicles can jump drastically in a short time.
"If it's 75 degrees out, it can get up to 95 degrees in ten minutes inside your car with your windows shut," said Lieutenant Quinn Ambrosius with Wausau Fire Department.
Even just running inside the grocery store to grab a few things can be dangerous.
"Just don't make an excuse that it's only gonna be ten minutes that I'm running inside the building because it's gonna heat up extremely fast in the car," said Lt. Ambrosius.
Pets, especially dogs, can overheat faster than most humans.
"Things can happen, they can't regulate their temperatures like we can, you knw they have tons of fur, they're gonna be panting, especially if there's no water, they're just gonna heat up way faster than humans," said Lt. Ambrosius.
And just like us, they can suffer from heat stroke as well.
"Heat stroke can cause heavy panting, rapid heart rate, vomiting, they can have seizures, they can lose consciousness and it can happen pretty quickly too," Shelly Watford, CVT and Hospital Manager at VCA Community Care.
Even leaving a window open a crack can still lead a dog to overheat, so if you have to leave the pup in the car, you'll have to leave the vehicle on.
"If you have the leave the animal in the car, please leave the doors locked but again let the AC run, try to keep the animal cool inside there, again that's a last resort," said Lt. Ambrosius.
They said when it's hot out you're gonna want to leave the pups at home unless absolutely necessary.
