Ella dies in distress locked in car Both my wife and I are dog lovers. She made me post this because a Prius owner was not smart enough and did that. It is illegal over here to leave the dog in the car.
This dog died a horrible death. Cooked to death. I hope your post will remind people to be careful with animals. They are dependent upon us.
OMG, Ella was put in the "safety grill" (cage?) in the hatch. Man yet to be charged over death of dog- Birchgrove - Crime - News - Inner West Courier
would the solar-cell prius keep a car cool enough to keep a pet in it? probably still not a good idea, since the system could fail.
This story really isn't a Prius thing. It's an idiot thing. It's not a Lab thing ... it's an idiot thing. It's not even a dog thing. It's not even a pet thing. Idiots fry their own kids in their cars. Idiots back up and run over their own kids. Considering that, is it any less spectacular that idiots would kill their pets? Idiots. What are you going to do. You can't fix stupid. Jail won't fix stupid. Criminal prosecution / fines won't fix stupid. Fred, our lab, gets all windows left down enough to get his head outside the car (Prius or otherwise), and never gets left in ANY car, if outside temps go (or even if they might REASONABLY go above 70-ish degrees.
I was thinking the same thing. Some might argue that this reporter was picking on the Prius by using "Prius" in the article title instead of just "car." But, in this situation, a Prius with a solar ventilation system might actually have an advantage over other cars. I agree that it's still not a good idea. But I still wonder, scientifically, if the solar panel ventilation would have kept this poor dog alive. He/She could still be here today. I wonder if the guy even bothered to crack the windows. If not, I consider this gross negligence. .
My thoughts too....I have a solar panel Prius, which I have tested out in hot Atlanta summers. It's like the description says: it keeps the inside a little warmer then what it's like outside (it only fans the car, so I'm not sure I'd trust leaving my lab in the car in a hot day). I have felt no danger leaving my dog in the car during a cloudy day...but he has a thick black coat, so I wouldn't leave him in my Prius over 15 minutes during a hot day. I think solar ventilation might have helped...but the car would still be pretty unbearable for a long coated dog.
hoe boy ... I can see it now . . . LAW SUITS . . . due to people frying their pets & kids, manufacturers may now be forced to build cars that can't cook anything inside it . . . because we have to manufacture everything to the all new idiot proof standard.
It's amazing how people justify leaving a defenseless creature locked in a potential hotbox. I once saw a baby sleeping in the back of a running car (alongside a woman's purse) outside of my local pharmacy. My fiancee and I sat there for about 2 minutes, while contemplating calling the police. Then the mother walks up, gets in the car, and drives away. Regardless of the temperature outside, can you imagine her horror if someone carjacked the car? As people say: YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID.
