News

Car interiors, pavement can be dangerous, even when high temperatures aren’t all that high

By Sam Richards

Staff writer

Thursday, July 10, 2025: Lois Dutton was in a meeting at Dollar Clubhouse recently when someone came running into the building looking for the owner of two dogs confined in a car.

“Being an animal lover, I went out to see what it was all about,” said Dutton, a relatively new resident of Rossmoor. She and others found two dogs inside a car parked nearby; one of them appeared to be in some degree of distress. It was unclear how long the dogs had been in the car.

At least one of the car doors was unlocked, and the dogs were let out. “Both of them clearly were looking to get out of that car,” Dutton said of the two dogs. The dogs’ owner, she said, yelled at her – “She said, ‘Mind your own business.’”

Though exact numbers are impossible to obtain, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that hundreds of dogs die each year in hot cars in the U.S., and many more are rescued. Part of the problem, many experts say, is that a heat wave isn’t needed to present problems for dogs.

According to researchers at both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Stanford University School of Medicine, the interior of a closed car on a 78-degree day can be up to over 100 degrees in about 45 minutes. Whether the car is light-colored or dark-colored can make a difference, with a darker-colored vehicle being up to 5 degrees hotter after an hour (up to about 110 degrees).

“I do see that there’s some level of, ‘If it’s fine for me outside, it’s fine for the dog,’” said Jung Fitzpatrick, a once-and-future dog owner who moved to Rossmoor in January. She is a dog trainer and behavior consultant, and belongs to the Rossmoor Dog Park Club.

She said that she and other club members know there is work to be done to keep dog safety in the summer at top of mind, including reiterating the point that it doesn’t have to be 100 degrees out to be a danger to dogs. Of course, the situation can become more dangerous more quickly when temperatures go up that far.

Researchers say dogs, in many ways, are more susceptible to heatstroke than humans. In addition to being covered with fur, dogs cannot cool themselves off by sweating.

California Penal Code Section 597.7 addresses the situation, in both hot and cooler conditions. It is state law that an animal cannot be left in an unattended motor vehicle “under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability or death to the animal.”

This law also allows “reasonable steps” to be taken – by a police officer, animal control officer or other person – to remove an animal from a car believed to be too hot, lack water or ventilation, or present any other dangers to that animal.

Another consideration during even mildly warm weather is the temperature of pavement. A general rule is that if the pavement is too hot for a person’s bare feet, it’s too hot for a dog’s paws.

And, as it is with the temperature inside a closed motor vehicle, just because the air temperature may seem pleasant, that likely isn’t the case with pavement temperature.

FourPaws USA, a global animal welfare organization, reports that an air temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit can come with pavement temperatures as high as 125 degrees. Ninety-five-degree air, it says, means pavement temperatures as high as 149 degrees.

Some surface materials also can get hotter than others. FourPaws cites a study by Frostburg University that shows when concrete reaches a temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, brick can get as hot as 109 degrees, and asphalt up to 124 degrees.

One way to determine whether pavement is too hot for dogs is to take the “seven-second test.” This involves touching the pavement with the back of one’s hand for seven seconds. If the pavement surface is too hot to hold your hand there for seven seconds, it’s too hot for a dog’s paws. At 125 degrees, skin and paw injuries can occur after 60 seconds.

Walking the dog at times of the day when the ground is cooler – early in the morning or late in the evening – can minimize risk of injury … so too can walking the dog on grass.

Fitzpatrick also reminds that sunscreen is appropriate for some dogs. The American Kennel Club says sunscreen specifically formulated for dogs is especially recommended for hairless breeds, dogs with white or thin coats, and breeds with light-pigmented noses and eyelids, all of which are predisposed to sunburn.

Collies, dalmatians, bulldogs, whippets and any dog going through substantial shedding fall into these categories. Sunhats and sun goggles for dogs are also available and recommended, she said.

Dutton said dog owners have a serious responsibility to keep them safe.

“I would want people to realize you’re all (your dog) has, and that it’s special we are their caretakers,” she said.