Dangers to Children and Pets During Hot Weather: A Warning from the Bedford Police Department

Submitted by John Guilfoil on behalf of the Bedford Police Department

Public Safety-BPDChief Robert Bongiorno and the Bedford Police Department would like to advise the community about keeping their children and pets safe during the warm weather months, particularly when animals are inside a vehicle.

The Bedford Police Department routinely responds to incidents in which children or pets are accidentally left in a car or when a passerby calls police after seeing a child or pet in a vehicle.

The Bedford Police Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration remind residents of the following:

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Always Look Before You Lock

In just 10 minutes, a car’s interior temperature can rise 20 degrees. Even with an outside temperature of 60 degrees, the inside of a car can reach 110 degrees. If a child’s body temperature rises to 107 degrees, it can be fatal.

  • Always check the back seats of your vehicle before your lock it and walk away.
  • Keep a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty, and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat.
  • If someone else is driving your child, or your daily routine has been altered, always check to make sure your child has arrived safely

“The Bedford Police Department is committed to the safety of all the children in our community,” Chief Bongiorno said. “If you make a mistake, don’t panic and don’t delay. Call us right away, and we will come help.”

Also Be Careful with Pets

A recent article published by the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cited a dog’s normal body temperature ranges from 101.5 to 102.2 degrees. Anything above this places a dog at risk — in that regard, pets and humans are similar! You would not leave a person in a hot car, and you should not leave your pet in one either.

An outside air temperature of 75 degrees can rapidly push the inside a car past 118 degrees. A dog’s brain could already be in the early stages of irreparable damage from heat stroke once temperatures reach between 107 and 108 degrees.

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