Someone called the cops

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-This is just a rant on my part! Gotta get this off my chest because nothing irks me more than being accused of being an irresponsible owner-

So, we're down in Farmville, VA moving my fiance's sister back from college (and taking a mini-vacation on the side as always!) We're staying in a hotel with the dogs.

Anyways, the other night we were at Walmart getting some food and stuff. We were in there for somewhere around 20 minutes max. When we left, we got to the car, and were just getting in when a cop pulled up and asked fiance some questions. I was in the car, so I didn't hear what was going on, but when he (my fiance) got in I asked what that was about and he said someone called the cops abut our dogs being in the car.

Now... that I could understand if it was day time. But it was NIGHT. You know? When it CAN'T heat up to deadly degrees in the car. It was a relatively cool night too (although no doubt humid).

I've been irritated about it ever since. I've tried looking at it from their POV and I've tried thinking "well, at least they cared about my dogs well-being" but I just can't. They had no reason to call the cops on us being bad owners when they themselves were too stupid to realize "Oh, it's night time. The sun isn't out therefore it's not going to get hot in the car." I mean, they didn't even stick around to see that they'd be ok! There was no one out there when we got to the car. These mystery people obviously cared enough to report, but didn't care enough to stick around and see if the dogs would be alright. Ugh. Some people are just so dumb I can't stand it.

Anyway, at least the officer didn't care. He didn't even give us a warning. Just drove off after fiance explained to him that the dogs are just fine and dandy.

Still though, I'd never expect someone to call the police about dogs in a car at night time. Who does that? Really?

I might be able to understand if it was during the day and your poor dogs were baking themselves to death or if the people had seen you go into the store before they did,they were there several hours,came out and your car was still there with the dogs completely ignored. But 20 minutes at best. At night. The only thing I can think of is they wanted to steal the car and were upset that they couldn't because the dogs were there protecting what was theirs. Otherwise? Thankfully you weren't ticketed or charged with anything that would really get me p!$$ed!

I understand calling the cops if it's HOT and SUNNY out and the dog appears to be in obvious distress. But when it's dark?
Sounds to me like one of those so-called dog lovers that believes that a dog must be with you 100% of the time, and you can't have a job while owning a dog etc. etc.

Glad you didn't get charged or anything, as that would be totally uncalled for. Still totally nuts though.

Yeah, seriously Sanka. I wish the person had stuck around so that the cop could at least have given them a talking to about abusing the system, but then again if they had still been there I might have shot my mouth off and gotten in some trouble fighting with them.

Fiance said it was probably the parents of a college kid, since the students themselves seem pretty laid back and not the type to care about something like that. Definitely makes me more wary about leaving the dogs in the car in the future though.

In some states it is illegal to leave a dog in the car unattended. Honestly, I might have dine the same thing. There are more dangers to the dog than just heat, and it CAN get too hot in the car at night, especially in the south.

I am pretty sure that is not the case in our state otherwise the officer would have said something. I could be wrong about that, I haven't yet looked it up, but I'm pretty sure it was just some dope overreacting about something they know nothing about.

Would you actually assume that two dogs, just laying there in the back seat doing nothing in particular other than keeping a sharp eye on the door to the supermarket, are in serious danger and in need of immediate rescuing?

Again, I could understand if it was day time, or if it was like 90 degrees even at night (which it does get around there in the MIDDLE of the summer, but this was like 60... maybe 70 degrees max--actually no, scratch that. I remember asking my fiance how hot it was, because I personally have a problem controlling my body temperature and I can be sweating even in only 40 degrees. and the car thermometer said exactly 64 that night. Absolutely, by no means dangerously hot.) or if the dogs appeared to be in distress, but when they're alert, bright-eyed, showing no signs of stress or discomfort, just chillin' with their eyes on the store waiting for their owners to come back? What's the problem there? Jumping to conclusions without taking in the fact that there's nothing wrong with the dogs doesn't make you look like a caring citizen... it makes you look like a jerk, or an animal rights nutjob, just looking to stir up trouble.

Honestly I think leaving them alone unsupervised at the hotel would have been a heck of a lot more risky than leaving them in the car for 20 minutes. They've stayed in the car plenty of times, they're more than used to it. Leaving them in a hotel however, they're not used to that, and not only could they injure themselves but the hotel staff would call AC and have them taken away, because leaving dogs alone in the hotel -is- against policies.

I had the same problem.
We had to stay in a hotel for a couple of days while waiting for the house we rented to be ready. I was told not to leave the dogs unattended in the room so I took them with me to get some dinner. Some idiot reported me. It was night time and cool. I was inside for about 25 mins but I popped out to check on them twice and even stood by the car to have a smoke. Seriously people need to get a life. The cops just laughed but still.

Sanka, I have to agree with you as well. If the idiot used 911 to report 2 dogs not showing the slightest signs of distress,and while the officers were sent to investigate the non-crime there was something much more important going on the should have been charged for abusing the system. Ava it sounds like the pups were happily chilling in a comfortable place awaiting the return of the rest of the family. I kinda wish the person(s) who reported you would have stuck around so that you could have found out exactly what their issue was. Then given them your viewpoint.