Advice please - work colleague leaves his dog in his car all day!!?

Question

I got back from my lunch break and saw a little Jack Russel in one of the cars in the private staff car park at the place I work. One of the windows was left slightly open - and I live in Wales (UK) so the weather at the moment is not scorching.
I came into my office and asked around and was told that the guy in question is someone who works in a different section from me (I dont even know what he looks like) and that he leaves his dog in the car every day all day (from 8am - 5pm). They said that he doesn't always let the dog out at lunch - sometimes it gets left in there all day.

I think this is outrageously cruel - and wondered if anyone could offer me any advice on what i could do to stop him from doing it in future? I feel a bit uncomfortable talking to him as I dont know the guy - but I am parked next to him today and was wondering if I should say something when we leave work?

If you think that I am in the right to want to do something about this - can you give me any suggestions on what to say to him (I dont want to put him on the defensive or start out too negatively) and does anyone know what legal repercussions/outcomes could happen - Ie: if i was too contact the RSPC what could/would they do?

Thanks guys.

PS - I think anyone that leaves their dogs in cars should be locked up. Our German Shepherd will get left with all windows open slightly for a maximum of a couple of mins if we have to pop into a garage/shop etc. Even that only happens rarely - more often than not one of us stays in the car with her,

Answer 1

Contact your local animal control authority...or the police, give them the license plate number, make, model, location, and color of the car, include the fact that this happens every day, you have witnessed it.



After your complaint has been filed, follow up on it every few days to see if any action has been taken.



good luck

Answer 2

Okay you're getting loads of answers and they're all quite mixed so I'm sure you're very confused about what to do.



To all the people who said leaving a dog in a car all day without being attended to is okay, you are WRONG! It is cruelty and this guy is risking his dog overheating. The dog isn't getting any attention or interactive for the whole day. I know leaving a dog at home all day isn't exactly ideal either but at least there would be no risk of overheating, or being stolen (the reason I would never leave my dogs alone in the car even for a minute).



I would be tempted to report him to the RSPCA immediately. I don't tolerate any kind of animal cruelty. However, I know you want to speak to him first, so...



You need to be 100% sure of the facts. Is this a long term thing or is it something he is doing just while he moves house or something like that? Has the dog got a water bowl? Is he letting it out for a wee at all through the day?



Once you know the facts then you're in a better position to take action. Send him an email saying:



"I have noticed that you leave your dog alone in the car all day, every day, and I just want to express my concern. This is not an acceptable way of caring for a dog and I'm concerned about its welfare"...



Something along those lines would sound ok. But you may be dealing with an idiot here and he might not give a damn. Then if you do decide to report it he will know it was you.



If you report him without mentioning anything first then it will be anonymous and the warning he gets from the RSPCA will hopefully shock him into changing his ways!



Good luck x

Answer 3

I have had a similar experience with a co-worker who left his Lab puppy in his truck all day while he worked. I did'nt know the guy. He'd just started working at this place and I have no idea exactly how long he'd been working or bringing the dog with him. He parked next to me one morning and when I went to my car at break, saw the dog and was shocked. I asked whose Bronco was parked next to me and the few people outside did'nt know but someone told me they'd seen the dog left in the truck before all day. It was late Feb. and fairly nice out. Temperature was around 50 degrees. Windows were cracked and the dog had a food and water bowl in the back as well as a bed and a chew toy.

At lunch I again went to my car to eat in peace and the fella soon came along and took the dog out for a walk while he ate his lunch which I watched him share with his puppy. When he put him back in the truck I told him what a cute kid he had there and a conversation about the dog just naturally occurred where it came out that the guy had been tossed out of his girlfriends house where he'd been paying all the bills until he lost his job. Everyrthing was fine there until his savings were gone and she had to start paying her way as well as help him and she did'nt like it one bit so she threw him out the day before he started working at this place. He was in fact living in his truck with the dog and had nowhere he trusted to leave the little guy all day while he worked. With the weather not being harsh he worried about him but all went well this far and he'd be moving into an apartment of his own the following week when he got paid so he'd hoped it'd be alright. the owners had told him he could bring the dog as long as he did not bring him inside the plant or allow him to be anywhere near the driveway or the docks. They evan had suggested he tie him up on the backside of the building late in the day should it get too hot in his truck and later that week he did so, taking his breaks with the pup to make sure he was alright.

Maybe you can try mentioning how cute the dog is just to break the silence and you'll find a similar situation. Some people are just too ignorant for words but there are times when what we're really looking at is a situation that requires a friendly hand up.

Answer 4

I think that it is cruel to leave a dog alone all day. Unfortunately thousands of people do this without a thought for their dogs welfare. The people who work full time and do not make provision for a dog to be walked in their absence are totally selfish.



At present the weather is cold, consequently the dog will come to no harm in the car. If he did this all the year round his dog would be dead by now. The dog will be less bored in the car because there are people passing. In view of this I think that he will be happier in the car than being in the house on it's own.



Before you speak to him you should make more enquiries, its possible that he does take his dog for a walk in his lunch hour and that the people who you have asked are unaware of this. If he leaves his dog in the car in the Summer, call the RSPCA.

Answer 5

Proper training and socialization are some of your dog's most basic needs. Learn how to set a basic foundation before you begin to train your dog https://tr.im/ZN0Vs



At first, dog training can seem pretty overwhelming, especially if this is your first dog. Truth be told, training your dog is a very big project. However, if you take it step by step, you will find the task to be far less daunting.

Answer 6

There are several reasons to bring a dog to work and leave it in the car.



1. the dog will get walked and attended to during the day

2. the weather is cold enough so that the car will NOT overheat. There is no heat in the sun at the moment.



As long as the dog has food and water and somewhere, like a newspaper, to pee and poop, then there is no problem leaving the dog in the car, it's a better alternative than leaving a dog home for 12+ hours.



Most dogs love being in THE CAR.

The dog may be a barker and is annoying the neighbours.

There could be many reasons why he brings the dog to work.



As long as the car is kept in the shade, there is no risk.

Answer 7

In the US, that is animal abuse/neglect, and the local animal control officers can physically remove the dog from the car. Does the UK also have these type of laws?

If you don't feel comfortable talking with the guy, can you leave a note, either on the car or on his desk, stating that you are concerned for the safety of the dog and feel there should be other options other than leaving it alone in the car all day.

You could also report it to the local authorities and have them handle the situation.

Either way, I would definitely do something

Answer 8

This used to happen at a organisation I worked some years back. When it became public knowledge amongst the staff, the Regional Director actually stepped and spoke to the member of staff concerned, as they felt it reflected badly on them if members of the public were to see an animal left unattended for so long. It is one way to avoid making it personal.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

This might be the only way to please the dog and not have the neighbors calling the constable for excessive barking dog. If you know of a good place this dog can spend the day rather than the car, like doggy day care, you can offer the phone number or address to him. That would be a neighborly way to handle it.

He might not get seen walking the dog because he probably sneaks and does this when others are busy.

Answer 11

I would contact your local authority that deals with dog laws and cruelty. In my city, we have an ordinance stating that an animal can not be left in a car for over 1 hour, and that they may not be left in a vehicle at all in extreme weather conditions (and the responding animal control officer will determine whether conditions are extreme-not the owner). It's possible that the authorities can help on this.

Answer 12

Be brave and let him know its wrong. If he continues please call the RSPCA but get some evidence its happening on regular basis like taking photos on a mobile. I say this because they will visit him but they are likely to just caution him because he will say he hasn't done this before. If he continues keep collecting evidence and call them again. Bascially he needs to be shamed into stopping this disgusting behaviour.

Answer 13

I think you need to tread carefully here. Whilst I can see your argument, we don't know his side to the story. If he just works in the same section as you, I assume he's in the same company. I'd send round an email to everyone in the company i.e. like a blanket email or like a 'lost key' email, though in your case a dog. Don't make it judgmental, just word it in a way that someone might have forgotten about the dog in their car or like 'you've left your lights on, on your car' type of email.

Answer 14

I would let animal control handle it as this day & age you never know how he might react if they don't respond then I would leave a note or letter on his vehicle try to be anonymous good luck ps you don't want to take a Chance on having problems at work that might cause you to lose your job good luck

Answer 15

I would just call animal control. If this guy is stupid enough to leave a dog in a car all day, I would not want to speak with him. You don't know if he has any mental issues, I wouldn't want him to know who I was for that reason. Some people are just crazy.

Answer 16

its a disgrace he leaves the dog in the car for so long. and not letting it have a wee sometimes is bad. lets hope he leaves a bowl of water in the car for it.



contact the RSPCA, they will take detail and send an inspector to take a look. if its found he is contributing to any suffering of the animal, they can leave a notice and legally remove the dog.



you can also report it to the local police station who will also check on the dog.



do it before the animals suffers more, and i hope it pees on his seats.

Answer 17

You need to report this person to animal control asap! This is no way to treat an animal and they can die easily due to dehydration. We have organization here in the US that take these behaviors seriously and I am sure there is one in the UK. Go to www.aspca.org and they will help you find the person to contact! You need to take action!



Even if you speak to him god forbid what could happen to that dog if you spook him - report him!!!

Answer 18

Is it illegal where you are? Where I live it is illegal to leave kids or dogs alone in cars.

We phone the police if we see a dog locked in a car for more than a few minutes. The police break into the car, animal control seizes the dog and the owner is charged.



Report this guy to the police. He is being so cruel to his poor dog.

Answer 19

Why do you think that this is more cruel than leaving the dog at home all day? Many people crate their dogs all day, which gives them less space than the car, and they would be left longer due to the transit time.



As long as the weather is appropriate, and the dog likes cars, there is no reason not to leave the dog there

Answer 20

Did the dog appear to be uncomfortable or in distress? If so, then the owner needs to be told, if not then the dog is fine.

Answer 21

People who work all day shouldn't have dogs.



Dogs are social animals that need plenty of interaction and (of course) physical exercise. If they are left alone for long periods they get bored, start getting destructive, show stress behaviour, bark all the time. Not a good thing at all.



What is more, cars can get very hot or very cold - not conducive to good health, especially in a small dog.

Answer 22

I don't know what your rules are in the UK, but here in the US I would be calling animal control immediately to take care of it. That is abuse and neglect.

Answer 23

i would contact the rspca deffinately. the poor dog is suffering, it is an act of cruelty and neglect as far as i am concerned

Answer 24

I wouldn't even say anything to him....I'd just report it to the local humane society.

Answer 25

Winsome Wanda is right! Don't say a word to that jerk - call your ASPCA (RSPCA ?) TODAY!!

Answer 26

steal the dog, leave a note informing him why.

Answer 27

Report him ASAP. What are you waiting for? Report him.

Answer 28

Advice is don't let him bring it into the office, it might get promoted over you.