Honk for Help!

I'm sure you know the warnings about never ever leaving your dog in a parked car in the heat but just recently, two situations of dogs in cars caught my eye. The first happened at my local Staples where I was buying a printer cartridge. The second was forwarded to me by a friend.

At Staples, a gentleman came in carrying his dog, a small terrier of some sort. The cashier told him it was store policy to prohibit dogs in the store. Instead of asking if he could simply run in and get some paper and not leave his dog in a hot car, he took his dog out and returned for his paper. Naturally the line to check out was long and he was getting worried, mentioning then that his dog was in the car, due to the cashier's insistence.

The people in front of him let him go ahead and he made it back to the car fairly quickly. It was not a terribly hot day so I am sure the dog was OK (he might have left the engine running and A/C on for all I know), but I was impressed that the customers were more understanding than the clerk.

In other words, she might have let him get away with it, just this once, considering there was no sign posted about the policy.

The second incident concerned Max, pictured above. Apparently Max's owner inadvertently forgot him in the car when she came home after running a few errands. She went inside and heard the horn honk. When she came out there was no one there. A little while later she heard the horn honk again and found Max sitting in the driver's seat.

He had saved his own life. The distraught owner cooled down the pooch and got him to the vet where he was reported to be a little weak but essentially OK.

Smart dog. And one very contrite owner who will never ever forget him again.