Too Hot for Spot: Pet owners urged not to leave animals in cars

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    Boston, MA (WCVB) — As temperatures reach the 90s, the Animal Rescue League of Boston is reminding pet owners of the dangers of leaving animals in hot cars.

ARL on Monday is launching its annual safety campaign, Too Hot for Spot.

Officials worry they will see more instances of animals being left in hot cars in places that many frequent while doing daily errands.

The average grocery store trip, according to the Time Use Institute, is about 41 minutes. This figure is based on pre-pandemic information.

Grocery stores and other businesses now need to take extra steps to disinfect or limit the number of people allowed inside at one time — resulting in daily errands taking longer. Leaving an animal in the car for even a short period of time could be deadly, the ARL said.

While the windows in a car may be cracked, the inside of a vehicle can heat up to well over 100 degrees in a matter of minutes.

It is against the law in Massachusetts to keep an animal confined in a vehicle when extreme heat or cold may threaten the animal’s health.

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