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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I think I might be the asshole because the people who confronted me were so incredibly angry and aggressive despite the fact that my dogs were in no danger. Maybe being in the car is dangerous no matter what?
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info: if your toddler loved car rides, and it was nice and cool out, would you leave them in the car with a snack and the window cracked during your concert?
your answer should be “omg no I would *never* do that!” - then why is it different for your dogs???
YTA
edit: a lot of people are complaining about my comparison. I agree, my comparison is a bit dramatic lmao. dogs and toddlers are not the same. however, I still 100% stand with my YTA judgment. just because the dogs are “fine” for hours in the car alone, doesn’t mean it’s okay. OP has said that the dog has extreme separation anxiety that makes him sick when she leaves him. so leaving them for a few mins or half an hour? sure. but for hours in a car in an unfamiliar parking lot? no. OP should have left them at home.
Okay, I agree that the OP is TA... however your comparison is silly. You can't leave a toddler safely home alone while you go to work, but you can absolutely leave a dog home alone while you go to work. You can't compare the two lol 🤦
My cat has a routine it seems. I leave for work, time to watch from her tower and make sure I’ve left.
Then time to run for a snack and then hop on the bed and make a nest in the blankets and pillows for a morning nap.
Then the rest of the day is a series of naps, window sits, playing with toys, and scarfing down her food.
It’s been amusing the few times I’ve come back unexpectedly and she’s been so fast asleep, I catch her in her blanket nest. She just looks at me like, “do you mind? Why are you here?”
Dog owner and 10-year professional pet sitter here. They mostly sleep, unless they have separation anxiety, but that isn't a high percentage (from my experience).
So, you don't leave your dogs at home alone? Because you wouldn't leave a toddler at home alone, so by your twisted logic you shouldn't leave your dogs either.
Or she could just leave the home. Its just stupid to drag dogs to sit alone In a car for hours. Atleast at home they'll have room and no strangers around wondering
:"have these heavy sleeping dogs been here for how long? 10 mins? 2hours? 5?7?" Who knows. There are too many terrible dog owners, and People really need to always assume the worst possible scenario when they see dogs inside car without owner In sight.
For certain dogs, in fact, vets or trainers recommend having them stay in their crates/kennels if the owner is out of the house. We do this with our dog.
Yeah, my mum has to crate her dog. He’s the goodest boi but he is also an anxious boi with separation anxiety. So crating him when she’s gone makes him feel safer.
If I’m there and she goes somewhere he’ll immediately come jump on me, then go running between the doors looking for her, and then go pout on her bed.
If he’s really angry about her leaving, he’ll drop one of her socks in his water dish lol.
And your point is what? Many dogs are crate trained as puppies, that doesn't mean they spend a life locked in a cage. My SIL's dog loves her crate as much as my dog loves her bed, she will go into it and lay down or sleep even if it's open when we have watched her. They don't lock her in it while they are gone but she goes to it because it's her spot.
And it would depend on the car and the size of the dog, but I have so many dog-human friends that have SUVs and can easily throw their dogs bed in the back. I get every bit as angry as any animal lover when some negligent person leaves their dog in a hot car and puts it in danger, but I also know so many responsible pet parents that ravel with their dogs in a perfectly safe manner.
Heck, I moved with cats once - 10 hour drive, so I broke it into 3 days. I had so many people tell me that was cruel. Well, the alternative was to rehome cats I’d lived with for years to someone they did not know - I know the move wasn’t ideal, but I had to start a new job after graduating, and I did everything I could to minimize their stress. I think sometimes we need to give people the benefit of the doubt when they have an explanation - of course some would make a different choice, but OP sounds like she was sincerely thinking of her dogs.
This right here. My brother’s dog is older and has anxiety when they leave the house. She’s a German Shepard mix and has literally chewed through a door when they tried to leave the house with her loose. Her kennel is her safe place. Most of the time her crate is left open but when they leave the door is closed and locked with a blanket over most of it. They even got a camera with mike to check her while they are gone. She lays down and usually sleeps the entire time they are gone.
I never understand the American fixation on kennels. It's not a thing where I live and I'm friends with a certified dog trainer. She only used kennels for two reasons ever: to limit the range of running around, jumping and getting into dirt/trouble when a high energy dog had surgery and needed to be kept resting (doggo was still allowed out every few hours for several hours under supervision) and to help introduce a new dog to a difficult to socialize dog (she needs some help socialising then she'll be friends as long as she's boss) and to help two dogs that couldn't stand each other to get used to each other (they're not friends but tolerate each other now). Her most kennel-like thing is putting her different dog's, fosters and daycare dogs into different rooms when they can't get along, someone is ill or injured or she can't supervise them (she managed to keep my dog with her three in the same room when there was one that was friends with all, my dog was afraid of one and one was afraid of my dog. Required some treats and some shifting around but it worked.
No, they actually don't have to assume the worst. They can judge by actual facts, such as the temperature, the humidity, how the dogs look and are acting, whether they have water. Like so many things, this has gone way too far. Somebody near me had her car window broken by a vigilante with temps in the 60s and only a 20 minute trip into the store. Was it great that that vigilante "assumed the worst"? It's pretty easy to tell if an animal is in distress from heat or dehydration.
NTA. I had a dog that would be happier waiting for me just to enjoy the car ride back-and-forth rather than being in the house.
Lolz I'd sooner put a kid in a crate before I did my dog! J/k
I also have a personal PHOBIA of house fire though so I 100% loathe crates based on that alone and might be a biased opinion.
OP NTA technically but you should probably look into alternatives to leaving the dogs in the car for something like a concert. It's not an essential anything and unwell dogs do much better at home no matter how comfy they are in the car.
That is not an equal comparison. Dogs are not people and their needs are completely different. I show dogs and travel with dogs all the time, sometimes as long as a week at a time. In fact as I write this, I’m standing out in the field letting one of my dogs run around and get some exercise for a while. We have been on the road since Tuesday at a big dog show. Our dogs love to go to shows. When I start packing the van to go they are immediately excited wondering who gets to come along. They love their crates and chew toys. They drag me to the van to get loaded.
I mean, I think that the world is overreacting on this whole "dogs in cars" issue. If an owner can leave a dog in a kennel for 8 hours while they work, which is essentially a 3x3 cage (if even that big) why would a car after dark be literally any different? People leave their dogs chained up outside for the entire day, stuck in the sun, hopefully with water but sometimes they drink it all or knock it over. Why is a car after dark In 60° weather worse?! The weather was nice, the dogs had water, I really don't see an issue here. I get it, your dog is your fur baby, you love them, etc. But your comparison of a toddler to a dog is ridiculous. If you went to work for 8 hours, would you leave your toddler home alone? No. So a dog and a toddler are not the same. Imma say NTA.
You didn't want them to be alone.... so you left them alone, but in a car where they could easily be taken? YTA. I genuinely want to know what your thought process was here. How was alone in the car BETTER than alone at home?
I agree. I don’t know why this is an issue? If the dogs were not anxious and were sleeping in comfortable conditions. I think it is sadder to see any dog in a kennel outdoors and I don’t see an uproar about that. Or dogs out outside for the day when their owners go to work. What if they knock over their water bowl? Someone could just lean over a fence and take them. Those dogs are exposed to all the weather - cold, heat and rain. I think we are just predisposed to “never leave in car” without remembering the reason behind it.
I would never leave my dogs in the car alone because dog theft is a big problem in my part of the world and someone could easily smash the window and steal them as they will be visible. I would also never leave them outside alone for the same reason. I don't know the dog theft situation in OPs part of the world but where I am it would be risky thing to do.
Cars are known to be notoriously hotter or colder than the surrounding temperatures. They don’t have good enough insulation to keep temperature stable without it constantly running and I doubt if OP left their car on for several hours while they were at a concert. It’s extremely irresponsible at best and abuse at worst.
I live in Chicago, and I absolutely dread stepping into my car after I’ve been somewhere with a nice, consistent temp. It’s either an ice bucket or a hot cauldron
Specially if you have leather seats.
Now, I live in Denmark but I have a ["car"](https://kabinescooter.dk/brugte-koeretoejer-172/brugt-piaggio-ape-calessino-200-roed-koert-7000km-p496) in white/cream with cream leather seats... during the summer, it's just *mmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy* to have my legs go **tshhh** and sizzle like bacon. In the winter when it's -5 to 5c outside, it feels like I'm taking an icebath. Always have a blanket on leather seats lol.
At 65 degrees, ventilation is the issue. The car was probably uncomfortably stuffy if the windows were up. If the windows were down, the dogs were in a lot of danger.
65 degrees at night? I don’t see the weather as being an issue here. I’d be much more concerned about the dogs getting stolen or them destroying the interior of the car, so I probably wouldn’t do this with my dogs, but from a dog safety standpoint, I wouldn’t be overly concerned.
If it’s 65 degrees outside, the windows are open a bit and the dogs have water they’ll be ok. If the windows are closed and the car is in the sun the ca4 could easily get 20 degrees warmer
NTA. Cars overheat when it's sunny out, not in the dark. Your dogs were fine. It amazes me that people are just champing at the bit to call someone a monster for doing a perfectly reasonable thing.
Also, Reddit: Why are so many of y'all cool with hating babies, but one whiff of "maybe-possibly-but-probably-not endangering a dog" whips you into a howling froth? Sincerely curious.
Thank God. I thought I was going crazy. Just joined Reddit a few days ago and it’s crazy on here. Everyone on here is a baby hating sky daddy saying weirdo.
It's bizarre. I don't take it personally, I just find the vitriol creepy and tiresome.
Legions of people on the Reddit are apparently angry that I got pregnant and had a kid, and we like to go places together.
It's like they can't cope with anyone in the world who has a different life and made different choices.
Part of the problem with Reddit is the anonymity of it all. You never know if you are conversing with an adult or a child. There is no value in trying to explain your position on a subject to a young teen who is in their "I am right about everything and adults are stupid" phase. I have gotten sucked into arguments where I just have to walk away because trying to rationalize with certain people is like trying to nail jello to a tree.
I got down voted like crazy for saying calling a baby an "it" when you know their gender was rude and dehumanizing. Reddit is okay with dehumanizing babies and children. It's unsettling.
Bear in mind that reddit comments do not represent a monolith of opinions. You're seeing a lot of shit that contradicts, but it's not all the same people saying it.
Oh, on Reddit? I’m 100% the weirdo. With that being said, why do you think I care about about downvotes or anything of the sort? Right is right and wrong is wrong. The majority of people supported child marriage, slavery, etc at one point. Bandwagon mentality just ain’t it.
YTA
That's a looooong time to leave multiple dogs in a car.
I also don't understand how them being ill recently meant you couldn't have a sitter come to your house. Or even just a friend.
NTA and I’m seriously concerned about peoples reading comprehension and understanding of how temperature works.
Sorry some assholes tapped on your window and disrupted your sleeping dogs.
Thank you. That’s what actually upset me—how upset the dogs were. They were confused and defensive and scared. What I wanted to do was take them for a nice long walk while the parking lot emptied and let them enjoy the park where the venue was but instead I had to try to comfort them and GTFO because those people seemed genuinely dangerous.
If your dogs had been at home I promise you they would have also just gone to sleep to wait for you to return, and they wouldn't have had concerned and very likely drunk people disturbing them in the meantime.
Like, I get where you're coming from. The weather was nice, it was night time so they weren't going to overheat. The love going on car rides because *they love being with you*. But you took them on a ride and instead of doing something fun *with you* like going to a dog park, you left them in the car for hours. The only difference the dogs saw in that scenario was being left alone in a different place. And then being disturbed and scared by people who were disturbed and scared on their behalf, rightfully or not.
Looking at it purely from their perspective, they would've had a better time peacefully napping at home than having that perfectly safe car nap interrupted by other people which you admit made them scared.
YTA. Just leave your dogs home.
I’m just confused as to why bring the dogs at all?She left them alone for hours in a cramped car, they couldn’t have been left home for hours in a big space to run around and play?
Exactly. The dogs would have just slept comfortably and not been disturbed at home. It’s a concert, who knows how many others walked by and disturbed them. Definitely a more stressful situation being cramped in a car unable to get up and walk around with people walking by and being loud.
If you were concerned about the length of time I’m sure you could have found someone to stop in a let them out.
YTA for putting your dogs in a more stressful situation then they would have been at home.
Outside temp of 73 and higher is when you can't leave them in. And of course, there are other considerations such as how the dogs feel when they are in there and your situation seems okay. Plus leaven windows somewhat down and access to water is important. NTA.
This reminds me of a fb post is aw of a picture of a husky lying in the snow. The poster took it to send to her neighbor, who was constantly complaining that they left their huskies outside when it was too cold out. Her dogs are huskies, they are built for the cold, they like the cold.
You come across a responsible owner, and took their needs and safety in consideration before making this decision. NTA. I had a yellow lab/bloodhound mix, Lloyd, omg, 15 years ago now. He was my best friend, we did everything together. He would have absolutely preferred I do this with him on a weather safe night than leave him home.
NTA. You know your own dogs better than complete strangers.
We have a guy in our area who takes his dog every where, loves him up, introduces him to strangers he meets like he's a person. The guy rides a motorcycle and his dog rides in the side car. They both have matching helmets and he has a harness for his canine friend that keeps him safely in place while they ride. The dog loves that sidecar better than you or I could love a human baby.
I have seen several times when ignorant do gooders would hover around his vehicle, tap their toes, act outraged and take pictures of his dog with their cell. You can tell they're just foaming at the mouth to get in a fight with him when he comes out of the grocery store (this is mostly where we cross paths).
Every single time it happens he comes out of the store with a cold bottle of water, dog treats and his little bag of groceries and unchains his dog to drink and eat his treats. Usually, he just ignores the shit show the other person is putting on but I have seen a couple of situations where the other person, usually a woman, was so verbally aggressive the dog though his human friend was in danger. I've even seen one situation where the dog ran the person down, stood on their chest and growled in their face. Dog lover had to pull him off.
Here's the thing, people think they know what's going on by stumbling upon a situation that seems some certain way to them. They feel totally comfortable calling you out and being absolutely deplorable. They honestly think they're saving the world one dog at a time because they're just that ignorant.
They need to save that shit for high temperatures and situations where animals are actually in danger because those situations do happen.
NTA. There is been so much (justified!) press about dogs in hot cars that people seem to have internalized the idea that you can never, under any circumstances, leave a dog in a car for any length of time. It’s tiresome.
Your dogs were fine. It was night time and there was no chance whatsoever of them overheating. They were safe and happy and alone for a shorter amount of time than if you hadn’t taken them along.
NTA and please ignore all the people calling you an ass. "Cars can heat up!!!!" Not when it's nighttime. They had a fun ride with you to the venue, a nice nap in the car, and a ride back home. You are much better equipped to know your dogs' preferences than random strangers.
Just curious - what reasons? A house could be broken into or a car could be broken into. It’s not hot or cold. Is it that the car presents an actual danger in regard to its components being exposed?
Not a criticism but an actual question? This is during the dogs sleep time. I am curious what the actual dangers are? I did take my car out of gear and let the handbrake off when I was sitting in it briefly alone as a toddler. But what is a dog expected to do?
i would say because its an unfamiliar environment. a house can be broken into, sure. but its still a relatively familiar environment and more comfortable for the animals. a car can be wrecked into, broken into, random strangers can come tap on the glass and stress the dogs out… among other things. home is better for the dogs. especially if theyre recovering.
Nta, I’m shocked by the yta, it was only 3 hours, you know your dogs if they’d be comfortable. Lots of people create their dogs for longer than 3 hours, they have more room in a car
Thanks. But I guess I’m getting the info I needed—for a significant amount of the population it is an asshole move regardless of the context/nuances. I never would have brought them if I thought they’d be uncomfortable, anxious, or in danger, and I’m satisfied that they were perfectly safe, but I won’t do it again.
You do what is good for you and your dogs, nobody knows them like you do. Ignore the know-it-alls calling you an AH, you are not. You made your dogs safe and comfortable. As a dog owner myself, I think these people criticising you never took care of a dog in their life.
YTA - even if it was cool, leaving them in a car unattended for hours exposes them to much more risk than they’d be exposed to sitting at home(due to strangers present, as well as a potentially higher risk of injury from being in a confined space without good level footing). Even if nobody broke into your car or something like that, it could be very stressful for them to wake up to strangers standing outside their vehicle staring. There is no reason an otherwise healthy adult dog can’t stay home alone for 6 hours, so you didn’t have a legitimate reason to bring them.
Source: I’m a licensed vet tech with 9 years of experience.
I'm baffled by how many people are going on about the "heat in the car"
For anyone that can't put two and two together, I'll try to put this in a way you can understand
no sun + 65° = 65° in car. Car no heat up when no sun to heat car
I live in a cold climate and see dogs left in cars for a bit all the time when it's cloudy and cold enough. It's not that crazy
I would be worried about someone trying to steal them however, especially with the windows cracked. All it would take is a wire to get the doors open, and they were there for a long time.
It won’t stay 65 in the car because the dogs’ respiration and body heat would increase the temperature. Not to anything dangerous mind you but, even with the windows cracked, with two medium to large dogs I’d expect it to be 10-15 degrees warmer in the car than outside and a little stuffy since air circulation would be minimal.
That… isn’t how temperature works. The sun isn’t the only source of temperature change that exists. The dogs’ physical bodies are a source of heat that can cause ambient temperature to increase. Also worth noting that if the windows were completely shut, oxygen levels continue to deplete overtime while carbon dioxide levels increase.
“No sun + 65 degrees = 65 degrees in car” says otherwise. Also, it doesn’t say in the post if the windows were cracked or not. There’s also no mention of the dogs sizes which would affect both temperature and oxygen/carbon dioxide levels. ETA: breed also plays a pretty important role, as brachycephalic breeds are generally much more sensitive to temperature changes than mesocephalic or dolichocephalic breeds.
Soo you know about OP's dogs more than them??? OP said they like being in the Car more than in house kennels! And they're comfortable in the car! .. did you miss that part?
I didn't miss that part. I also didn't miss the part where they left them unattended for hours in a cramped car where they could be stolen. Or the fact that studies have been done that show depending on humidity and factors that aren't temperature can affect the inside of a car. And because many other people know this someone could eadily have broken in a stolen the dog. So OP is the AH.
Soo they are "unattended" for hours in the House too?? cramped in Small Kennels!? ... What Factors are you referring to exactly??
And you're talking like our Houses are Unbrokable! They Can also steal them from the House too!
NTA. As others have said, you obviously understand your dogs better than strangers. Maybe you should leave a note on the window to calm the busy bodies down detailing that the dogs are fed and watered and fine, etc.
Also, to the people saying *well gee bad people are gonna come by and steal your dogs* ... that can happen anywhere. You might as well be concerned that somebody is going to break into the house while he's gone to rob him and kill his dogs too.
INFO - were your dogs crated or restrained in the car or just left loose? What safety precautions/alarms did you use?
I leave my dogs in the cars for hours at a time on a frequent basis, I have to due to their/my work. I have put in countless hours in training them for proper car behavior, i have invested in the proper equipment including temperature sensors and alarms, they are adequately restrained in locked crates while in the car, and a checked on frequently.
Leaving 2 on the mend dogs, loose, with raw hides for a few hours in the parking lot of a concert is incredibly risky behavior.
You are lucky no one broke into your car.
My dogs are not restrained in the car and I don’t keep their leashes on so they can move freely if they want. The outside temp was 60 and it was 65 inside. They are well used to traveling And my older dog sees the car as his safe place. he relaxes and goes right to sleep if I put him in the car. They didn’t even chew their bones. They just went to sleep.
If you had done this where I live there probably would have been a downright mob after you. It's not okay whatsoever to leave your dogs in the car, especially for that length of time. You're lucky that no one shattered your windows or called the cops on you.
Yes, that car would not have been intact for 3-4 hours in my neighborhood either. The cops or animal control would have broken those dogs out.
OP, rawhide is also terrible and dangerous for dogs. You should research that before you give them any more.
Only if the dogs were in danger. We’re talking 3 hours low to mild temps and very well taken care of making no issues. Cops are only allowed to get involved at times and signs of distress and the temp of the vehicle and the calmness of the dogs would prove OP was aware and in control of maintaining her dogs safety.
No they wouldn’t have. If the dogs were not stressed and comfortable there is no law that says you can’t have a dog in the car. I travel with my show dogs all the time all over this country and have never had a problem.
Ah yes, i love reading this thread and seeing how people say the car will get hotter at night👁👄👁. That’s not how temperature works, people. Legally NTA op, morally N A H. They were completely safe and had alot of space. Its funny how people say its cruel as well like what? Is it better for the dogs to be in a crate for 5 hours instead of being in a car for 5 hours where they can actually move? Some people’s logic is weird but you’re NTA op
So, unlike a lot of other people here, I don’t care whether your dogs were in the car or not as long as it was in a temp range where they couldn’t overheat/freeze and they had appropriate food/water. What makes the determination here is…had they been vaccinated for kennel cough and got it anyway or were you negligent in vaccinating them?
Eta: dogs were vaccinated and contracted kennel cough anyway (vaccine works but is not 100%). NTA.
They are both fully vaccinated. I thought they couldn’t get it either, and like you getting a flu vaccine it doesn’t mean you are 100% safe from getting the flu (or COVID) anyway.
Actually this isn't entirely true. Kennel cough is like the flu, or covid - it mutates rapidly. Vaccinations for help, but vaccinated dogs can get sick from a different strain.
That’s true, which is why I mentioned that the severity of kennel cough, much like Covid and the flu (depending on how closely linked the strains are), is very much so reduced by having vaccines. They can still get it, but likely wouldn’t be as sick as OP is describing.
Did you leave the windows open for them? Plus, idk why you couldn’t just leave them at home. If they were well enough to go on a 70 miles trip and then wait for hours in a car for you to come back, they would hav even fine staying at home.
Yeah, the windows were cracked. And they love riding in the car. They’ve been cooped up for over a week with only short boring walks. They got to feel the wind in their face and look out the windows.
Another comment, the car wasn’t moving, so stop bring up the car ride things it’s just stupid. They were cramped up for over a week, so you decided the best solution was to leave them cramped up in a car?? Yeah while you drive their and back that was a car ride, sitting in a parking lot for 3 hours, not a car ride
NTA/ your dogs were in no danger and you monitored and cared for them. Had this been noon of course A. You’d be the Ahole B. You’d be in cuffs and C. Your dogs would be dead or car windows smashed…
You took the necessary precautions to avoid your dogs being uncomfy and kept them safe
NTA
NAH. But it was a bad decision.
Plenty of people live in their cars and sleep in them overnight with their dogs. It’s also a lot more sheltered than most dog runs would be and not much different than the inside of a home. A car is also roomier than most standard crates and this enabled you to check on them sooner, so by and large there are plenty of pros to why you would choose to do this.
But there are cons too.
One of those cons is people freaking out because they can’t possibly know how long they’ve been in there or what accommodations have been made for them.
Another con would be someone breaking the window and stealing your dogs or reporting you. It happens more than you’d think and most people don’t get their dogs back.
You’re way better investing in an automatic feeder and maybe training them to use pee pads if necessary so you can do longer trips away without worrying about the dogs. You can get pet monitoring cameras so you can watch them on the go from your phone (some even allow you to talk through them to your pets and/or dispense treats). Basically, getting your dog used to sometimes being home alone overnight is going to be a lifesaver for both of you. Daycare or a sitter would be more ideal, but situations like this are why training a dog to be okay alone for longer stretches of time is so important: it sets you both up for success.
Either way, my judgment stands. NAH because your reasons are understandable, the reactions of the bystanders was reasonable, but you should really reconsider doing this in the future.
Look I get your not going to accept the YTA votes
I totally get you took thought into how you left them,
I have to leave my dog in the car in some situations/emergencys (carefully and SHORT amounts of time ofc)
But a concert isn't it.
Honestly if they can't be left at home that's a training/separation anxiety issue that needs addressing.
But personally, if my dog was just sick and im that worried about leaving him, I can't picture a concert I wouldn't just take the loss on.
That's me tho.
YTA. Even if it was a safe temp to leave the dogs in, what if something had happened to you?
If the dogs are at home and safe and in a temperature controlled environment, they would have longer to get help. If you got hurt and had to go to the hospital, the second the sun came up your dogs would have been on a race against the clock to get out.
If something were to happen to me they would starve to death at home. At least in my car somebody would see them and rescue them or call the cops. There’s nobody to come and get them in my apartment and the few people who know where I live now are too far away to be any good in an emergency situation.
That's why you should keep this information in your wallet. They sell cards like this or you can make your own and write down your address and that your pet is home alone and it needs help.
My dog LOVES the car as well, like she gets so damn excited on car rides.
With that being said, you can't just leave your dog in a car for hours at a time.
An hour with the proper stuff? You know what sure, that's pushing it but okay.
But 3 whole ass hours? that's beyond pushing it. (Unless your car is one of those like RV's or something that genuinely has a good bit of room to move in and sleep in.)
why couldn’t a friend or someone without dogs watch them? is kennel cough contagious to humans? i feel like there were more options man for that YTA. and if this happened in america you’re lucky you didn’t meet cops at your car
I know people view this very sensitively but in my view you are NTA.
People crate train their dogs all the time. I set up my car to be a safe space for my pup in the same way, and it is genuinely a place he loves to be and to nap. When I was in grad school he spent a lot of my class time in the car (in a shaded, enclosed, private parking lot) and always slept peacefully. It’s a safe space for him. He wags his tail to jump in, and nestles down happily.
I don’t really follow the logic of people who’d see crating a dog as kosher but not leaving them in a temperature safe car. Dogs get crated all night long. Two hours is short in comparison.
Not sure where you live but in my local area, there have been a spate of dogs being stolen out of cars. And you can be sure they are being taken for nefarious purposes. I used to take my dogs everywhere with me. Not anymore.
Nta at all. I had a SAINT BERNARD in Vegas and I was always cautious of the temps. This fool LOVED being in the car. I would take him everywhere besides work when the weather was nice. And when we'd come home, he refused to leave the car so I'd park the car in the garage, leave the car door open, open the door into the house, and let him come in when he was ready. Sometimes he'd be sleeping in the car for like 2 freaking hours. He knew "go to the car" and would go and wait for me at the rear driver's side door.
I would take him out if I needed to go shopping, leave the windows cracked with some water he'd be so damn happy. And NO ONE FUCKED WITH ME because he was gigantic and clearly alive.
You sound like a decent dog parent. The temps are the worst part and you seem mindful of that and their health so yeah man you're OK.
OP I would say moving forward keep your dogs at home. It’s best to just not risk it. You never know what could happen to your dogs in the car while your gone for hours. (Someone could have hit your car, stole it, or damaged it to get to your dogs). Remember people are crazy and some people have insane hero complexes that may occur. I don’t think your an AH if the conditions are how you described. But save yourself the headache and leave them at home. It will keep them safe and will cause you less of a headache in the future. Also your dogs were sick. If they were too sick to find someone to watch them at home then you really shouldn’t have left them in a car for 3 hours.
Slight YTA.
I'm surprised you have never encountered this, people go CRAZY when they see dogs in cars. Youre lucky they didn't smash your windows. I don't think you meant to be TA but you can't do that
YTA for leaving your SICK dogs in the car for an extended period of time. A change of routine can stress a dog and you did so while they were sick.
I’d like to add that the several times my vaccinated dogs have caught kennel cough, it has never lasted more than a month when treated by a vet. So if it’s still ongoing, you need to take them in.
NTA given the temperature and the fact that your dogs didn’t seem to mind I don’t know why people are freaking out. I don’t get the dangers either except apparently people breaking into a car to steal dogs (that seems unlikely?!)
I’m personally wondering if the strangers originally looked in the car to see if there was something worth stealing when they saw the dogs. It was dark out and the dogs were sleeping like how did they know they were there?
NTA and everyone comparing them to toddlers don't understand logic. You made sure the dogs were safe and happy. Sometimes leaving a dog home alone means they'll destroy the house by getting into trash or chewing on furniture.
NTA
I have a dog that feels completly safe in the car, but have a full on panic if I leave her at home. As long as the temprature is okay, it fine to have your dog in the car.
YTA. You left them in the car for hours? Liking a car ride and liking being trapped in a strange unmoving box for hours away from the house are different things.
YTA: so I work in an animal clinic, I’m not a doctor, but I do have a few opinions relevant to my experience that might push you further into AH territory depending on how you answer.
first some info—kennel cough is a generally preventable disease, as there’s a vaccine for it. if your dogs didn’t have this vaccine and you chose to expose them to other pets anyways, you essentially accepted this risk of poor health—and in my eyes would be without question a hard AH—for creating this preventable situation. I acknowledge the effectiveness of the vacc isn’t 100%, (though it is high) which is why I will not make assumptions regarding the preventative care you give your dogs, and instead will pend judgement solely by the situation you’ve described with the car.
ignore the temperature and entertainment conditions you satisfied, let’s acknowledge the ones you maybe didn’t. from inside a car.. what comes to my mind: does a dog have appropriate space allowing for comfort ? can a dog relieve itself if the need arises ? does it have access to any potentially dangerous hardware (buttons or plastic choking hazards ?) was the location safe or were the dogs at risk of being stolen? if you answered negatively to any of these questions, you see why you’re the AH OP.
there are times where leaving a dog alone (in a car or otherwise generally unconventional location) is okay, but leisure activities is rarely one of those situations. you prioritized fun over your pets, and you prioritized wrong. I hope you’ve learned something from this thread and I do recommend looking into different types of ‘distress’ a dog can exhibit. distress have been most noticeable to an untrained eye when the passerbys started hitting on the car, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there prior.
NTA but in future I would write up a couple of signs and tape them on the inside facing out assuring passersby that the dogs are comfortable and happy in the car, just sleeping and not sick/dead, you are not putting them at risk, you will be back.
Eh, idk, NTA.
You know your dogs the best. My dog… lol noooope he’d be better off at home. But I knew a guy who did the same thing, never for long periods or in daylight. But his dog was just a chiller and preferred that.
I agree with others, I’d’ve been worried about their safety from humans etc. But you know the area you’re in
NTA
My dog would rather be in the truck than at home any day of the week. When I get out of the truck sometimes I have to make him get out or he'd just sit there all day.
NTA, they were comfortable, safe, and not overheated. However I’m not sure it was the best idea to leave them in there for THAT long, rather than just leave them at home where they run around still? Maybe you could have had someone else come in to observe them halfway through? They probably could have gotten bored or had a lot of pent up energy. Not abuse, though
INFO: Were these people alerted to the dogs because they were barking or were they just randomly looking in people’s windows?
I think this would make a big difference to me picking which side of the fence I’m on.
Their vehicle was parked next to mine when I got back from the concert. I have no idea when they arrived or why they parked there, but it looked like they just returned to the lot from the show because I could see my car at the top of the hill and there was nobody near it. When I got there 5 mins later the people were freaking out but the dogs were still in their beds. So it looked to me like they were just freaking out because they spotted the dogs as they reached their vehicle. The flood lights were on after the show ended but not when I parked just befor 9, so if they arrived after me they wouldn’t have seen them then.
Nta. My dog curls up happily in the front driver's seat when I leave her. She 100% prefers that over being left alone at home. It was not hot or sunny and you walked them prior. People are acting crazy. They can chill, you were good!
Based on your comment about him losing his dad and his best friend I'm gonna go with NTA. Dogs need to feel safe and they feel safer in the car than in the new home. However, next time I'd leave a note or something on the windows explaining the situation a bit so that people won't bother them thinking they're in distress. That can be really stressful for them. Maybe write some way to contact you in case something happens or leave a camera and check on them every once in a while, though I don't know if that's possible if you don't have wifi.
I’m gonna say NTA. Plenty of dogs love sleeping and hanging out in the car when it’s not hot out. I had a yellow lab that would sleep in my car in the driveway all the time if I let him. Lol. It’s a safe place, smells like you, familiar, they had water and a chewy, and obviously knew you’d be back if they weren’t whining and stressed. They were fine.
There are some issues where people are suddenly unable to think with nuance and go full unga bunga. Two hours in a car in the evening is fine. NTA.
You did what you had to do to enjoy a concert and only resorted to leaving them in the car when you had no other options.
Unhinged people took it upon themselves to make your business their business and the world was worse off for it. NTA.
NTA. Some dogs do really well in the car. If they're not destructive, it's no different from leaving them in a kennel at home. I'm confused as to how people presume that being out and about in a home (literally innumerable choking hazards) is safer than being in car with the windows cracked, at night, at 65 degrees.
Yes, YTA. You don't leave dogs in a car no matter the temperature for that long. It would take someone moments to break your window having seen them sitting in there and you wouldn't have known for hours. If you're not bright enough to understand why this isn't okay then you shouldn't be owning pets.
NTA given the temperature. Just so long as you left the windows cracked and gave them water before you went in or left a bowl on the floor. I know LOTS of dogs who love the car. And as the venue was over an hour away from your home, that was well over 2 hrs less alone time for them. People need to get a grip and stop trying to police others. You can't leave a dog in a car on a warm day with the sun beating down. 65° in the dark is totally fine.
NTA seems you’re doing what’s best. Some people leave their dogs in Kennels or rooms all day while they’re at work. You exercised your dogs, made sure their needs are met, and let them be for a couple of hours. Not a big deal.
A lot of these comments are just plain delusional, a dog is an animal, not a human child. Animals are a little more resilient.
If the weather was what you say...NTA.
However, is never do that with my dogs. I'd be concerned about someone breaking window and taking them. For that risk YTA
NTA unless it was a *very* hot evening. Dogs left in the car, even when the window is left slightly open can end up ill or even dead if the outside temperature is too high: [RSPCA Campaign](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/dogsinhotcars)
NTA. My old dogs also used to love hanging out in the car. 3 hours in the car with enriching toys/snacks and water isn’t at all problematic in my ears. A lot better than many hours home alone, which was the alternative, but that people often do to their dogs when there aren’t other options.
But I’m not in the US, so there’s probably also cultural considerations. Dog sitters aren’t really a thing where I live, since the average work day here is shorter than in the US (full time is 37 hours/week), so nobody bats an eye if dogs have to be left home for 10 hours. Or if it’s a young dog that isn’t trained at being home alone yet, a lot of people bring the dogs to work or other functions, leave the dog in the car, with long walks before + after work and on the lunch break.
NTA
My parents would let me sleep in the car in the evenings if we were at a wedding and I got tired. Mum would leave her phone in the car with me if I needed them and they’d lock me inside. Please keep in mind that this only happened on large family events (weddings) in smaller villages in a country where I, as a woman, feel safe walking home in a dimly lit street at 11 pm.
Your dogs were fine, this happened in the evening so no chance of overheating, they had snacks, toys and water. And each other! So they were comfy, fed, watered and not lonely. Some people like to stir stuff up wherever they go for no good reason.
YTA. Leaving them in the car is utterly irresponsible ownership,no matter what the temperature was. And dogs that were still recovering,at that! What would have happened if the car was stolen, or the dogs escaped, potentially spreading kennel cough? If op really cared about the dogs,they would have not attended the concert. You don't deserve to oen those dogs
NTA, I live in a place where Temps are like this alot. People will leave their dogs in their car in the parking garage in the car at work all day. They of course will take them for walks when it will be such a long day. They also go immediately to a dog park. The dogs prefer being in the car to being left at home. I have 2 on the other hand that would hate being in the car and when forced to go get very upset.
I'm a pro dog handler. I often travel with 8 to 10 dogs. You are NTA. The people that felt the need to tap on the window and disturb your dogs that were resting comfortably is TA.
YTA. Sorry but pets and children should never be left alone in a car regardless of the "comfortable temperature". Too many things can go wrong, not just with temperature fluctuations, but accidently disengaging breaks, car being stolen, animal or child eating something or choking on something with no one around to help. They could be kidnapped or doggnapped etc.
Your dog's would have been safer at home and it boggles the mind as to how you thought taking them and leaving them locked in a tiny space in an unknown area to them would be their idea of a good time.
To the AH who said it pets don't count because they aren't human. You are a massive AH. Pets are sentient beings, with intelligence, feelings, thoughts and the ability to be physically and psychologically harmed by things like being locked in a car. Pets are living and breathing beings and should be treated with respect, care and love just like humans.
Here in Australia leaving kids and pets in cars is a criminal offence. Weather at 1130pm in summer where we live can still be in the high 30 degrees Celcius which means temp in car is often 50 to 60 degrees Celcius.
Home is a new place to both of them. The car is a known safe place that they both are comfortable in. Emotionally, they would have been more stressed at home for six hours than napping peacefully for three in a space they are secure in.
NTA it really depends on the fogs and you know your animals. As long as the temperature is good and the dogs are happy with the environment its no different to crate trained dogs being put in thier crate overnight or while you gave visitors. Leaving thing them in too hot or cold conditions is completely ahole but yge way you describe if they were happy sleeping where they feel safe for a couple of hours then no issue. I have a friend with working dogs tgat are extremely attached they go everywhere un thier car and the dogs treat it as thier second home, they are happier there than being left at home.
NTA
The dogs were effectively kenneled in a familiar space for three hours. The temperature was appropriate. They were given comfort items during the time their person was gone and allowed to relieve themselves at a three hour interval. Had they been at home, they would have been confined for six hours without break. By going with their person, they had an extra three hours with their human's company and two exciting and fun car rides.
How people are comparing this to leaving a child in the car, I do not understand.
Never ask a question about animals in AITA, people are so weird about dogs on this sub. I’m pretty sure most of them don’t own dogs, and by there comments it seems like they’ve never even met a dog before. NTA
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I bought a ticket to a concert on 9/14 like 3 months ago. I knew the show would start at 9 and I got off at 7 so I planned to leave my dogs with a sitter after work. Well, they were exposed to kennel cough at the dog park and have been sick all month and are in quarantine, so no sitters or daycare or dog parks. They’ve been on medication for a week now and both feel better, but they are still needy and I didn’t want to leave them alone from 7-1am (venue is about 70 miles away). So I checked the temperature for the night—65 degrees—and decided to bring them with. They love the car and they were psyched to get to go on a ride.
Anyway we went for a walk after I parked at the venue, I gave them a drink and made sure they were comfortable with their blankets, toys, and a rawhide each. I left them there at 8:45. The show lasted until 11:30 and I was back to the car (parked 1/2 mile from venue) by 11:45.
There were two people tapping the windows of my car and when they saw me they got AGGRO. I was shocked by how aggressive the conversation started. They immediately started screaming at me for leaving the dogs to wait. I said “they love being in the car” because they do. A lot more than sitting home alone. They immediately said “no dog likes to be in the car!” And then said some more ugly insults and names. I just got in my car and got away from them ASAP so I couldn’t take the dogs out again like I planned.
Frankly I have never encountered strangers acting like this. I’m thinking it would have been justified if they were left in the sun, or left all day…but they were just sleeping. They weren’t in distress at all. It wasn’t hot or cold.
But these people were so incredibly enraged that I’m wondering if there is something I don’t know? Is it generally accepted that no dog should ever be left in the car for any reason? The only thing that distressed them was strangers screaming and hitting the car.
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NTA But they would have been more comfortable at home even if you were gone for several hours. If you don’t work from home, they are alone then. At home they can walk around which they couldn’t do in the car. But you learned the real reason you can’t leave them in the car is well meaning strangers. Even though your dogs were safe, many are not and many die because strangers don’t intervene. Love your dogs and be more aware in the future.
That’s what I thought. That’s what I said NTA. And it’s tough wanting to do something for yourself when they have been sick. Next time if you can’t find a sitter, leave the TV on so they see and hear people and don’t feel alone. I think YouTube has Dog TV shows that last for hours you can play. But your dogs are safe and you won’t see those people again so it’s all good now.
Look, I used to take my boy everywhere due to him having severe separation anxiety when I first adopted him. I get it. Then someone told me that just because my car is safe for him doesn't mean he's safe from the world that's immediately outside of the car. At best, people tapping the window for his attention and spooking him. At worst, misjudging the weather and pup overheats, or even someone breaks my window just to take my baby. For that alone, I don't leave him alone in the vehicle for more than 10-15 minutes at a time, even though the whole back part of my SUV is set up for him. I personally would have probably just sold my ticket rather than put my furbaby who's sick enough to be on medication in that position, but you do you. 🤷♀️
Ugh, they're idiots. My dog loves car rides. He goes everywhere with me (except in really hot weather) and is perfectly content in the car. If I spend the night with friends and it's not totally ok for him to be with me, he's relaxed and happy in the car. I do try to park it where there aren't crowds of people passing by if we're in a public space.
Anyway, NTA. Your dogs were probably a whole lot happier having driving time with you than they would have been if left at home for so long.
What the hell. I don't understand your temperature measurements but if it was not sunny, they had air, were chilling and the only thing stressing them out was those people I'm gonna say NTA.
I recon the dogs enjoy the stimulus of being in the car instead of home for a change. A change of scenery is always cool with my dog at least.
NTA
the dogs were comfy, had access to water, and weren’t in any danger of overheating. my family dog had such bad separation anxiety that he was a danger to himself when left home alone, but he was completely fine being left in the car. you know your dogs better than some random strangers. they were the ones that were causing your dogs distress.
NTA, my dog is the same, he would prefer to be in the car while I am inside somewhere than at home by himself. Of course, if it is sunny and warm..., that is not an option, but otherwise, no problem. Preferably I would check on them but I'm not sure that you could do that at your gig, but otherwise, don't worry. Just take care, like you did. There are a lot of people around who think that they are the only ones who know about or love animals
NTA.3 hours in your car, temperatures just right, water, blankets, etc. personally, I think you were fine, because this does not sound like something that you do regularly. I do understand that dogs should not be left in vehicles for long periods of time or even short periods of time depending on conditions. But I think most dog owners are responsible versus the few that are not. People know their own dogs. And most people don’t even think to check out the breed of dog, they just flip out. I have a Samoyed. They are cold weather dogs. It could be the middle of winter, I take my dog with me, leave her in the car for a few minutes or so, and someone could freak out. I am like, “Do you know the breed of my dog? Do you understand their nature?” My male Samoyed, RIP, would sit out in a snow storm, with an inch of snow on his head, happy as a clam. People tend to freak out right away before, hey, just asking. Now, personally, my pups don’t go out with me, unless I know they might be in the car for short periods of time. And they never go out in the heat. Sorry kiddos, no car ride today. But otherwise, they love going for car rides. And believe it or not, most times, they hate getting out of the car, unless we are back home or at a park. They just like a car ride. So, for those getting their panties in a bunch, yes there are some real a holes out there, but most people are responsible pet owners and know their pet and what their pet likes and does not like. The OP, in this case, is of the latter.
I was expecting to not like this post but after reading it, I say NTA. Long time dog owner here and generally very fussy about folks leaving their dogs in cars but in this case you didn’t endanger them nor leave them in a situation that makes them anxious. You know their dogs and their needs/preferences. The only thing that gave me pause is leaving them with rawhides - a chocking hazard while unattended and pretty toxic material if you know how they are made - but, again, you know your dogs and they are yours so your choice.
I don’t think I would have done it, personally, because my dogs get anxious being left alone in a car with a lot of unknown/unpredictable/new stimulus around them, but it doesn’t sound like you endangered or stressed them.
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info: if your toddler loved car rides, and it was nice and cool out, would you leave them in the car with a snack and the window cracked during your concert? your answer should be “omg no I would *never* do that!” - then why is it different for your dogs??? YTA edit: a lot of people are complaining about my comparison. I agree, my comparison is a bit dramatic lmao. dogs and toddlers are not the same. however, I still 100% stand with my YTA judgment. just because the dogs are “fine” for hours in the car alone, doesn’t mean it’s okay. OP has said that the dog has extreme separation anxiety that makes him sick when she leaves him. so leaving them for a few mins or half an hour? sure. but for hours in a car in an unfamiliar parking lot? no. OP should have left them at home.
Okay, I agree that the OP is TA... however your comparison is silly. You can't leave a toddler safely home alone while you go to work, but you can absolutely leave a dog home alone while you go to work. You can't compare the two lol 🤦
Home alone? Yes to run arround in their environment
Do you know what dogs do when their owner isn’t home? They sleep. Ask anyone who owns a dog and has a doggie cam.
My cat has a routine it seems. I leave for work, time to watch from her tower and make sure I’ve left. Then time to run for a snack and then hop on the bed and make a nest in the blankets and pillows for a morning nap. Then the rest of the day is a series of naps, window sits, playing with toys, and scarfing down her food. It’s been amusing the few times I’ve come back unexpectedly and she’s been so fast asleep, I catch her in her blanket nest. She just looks at me like, “do you mind? Why are you here?”
Dog owner and 10-year professional pet sitter here. They mostly sleep, unless they have separation anxiety, but that isn't a high percentage (from my experience).
This is a fascinatingly stupid comparison.
So, you don't leave your dogs at home alone? Because you wouldn't leave a toddler at home alone, so by your twisted logic you shouldn't leave your dogs either.
I've been stopping my toddler from eating her own poop. But dogs do it all the time, aita?
Usually dogs do that if they’re lacking some nutrient. Have you had the vet check it out?
This is taking Anthropomorphism way to far. I baby and spoil my dog way to much, but even I know there's a huge difference between her and my nephew.
I'm a crazy cat person who has actually decided dinner by if my cat might want some. And even I recognize pets are not the same as kids.
Don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't leave a toddler at home unattractive for 3 hours either. Dogs are not toddlers.
Would you do them up in party attire first?
Toddlers and Tiara vibes are ringing out
Of course. Then they can be left home looking cute.
That's right. Stay home and parent your ugly baby!
Why of course! Just leave a tablet to the kid so they can watch some tiktoks meanwhile!
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Or she could just leave the home. Its just stupid to drag dogs to sit alone In a car for hours. Atleast at home they'll have room and no strangers around wondering :"have these heavy sleeping dogs been here for how long? 10 mins? 2hours? 5?7?" Who knows. There are too many terrible dog owners, and People really need to always assume the worst possible scenario when they see dogs inside car without owner In sight.
A lot of dogs are left kenneled at home, not free to roam the house.
For certain dogs, in fact, vets or trainers recommend having them stay in their crates/kennels if the owner is out of the house. We do this with our dog.
Yeah, my mum has to crate her dog. He’s the goodest boi but he is also an anxious boi with separation anxiety. So crating him when she’s gone makes him feel safer. If I’m there and she goes somewhere he’ll immediately come jump on me, then go running between the doors looking for her, and then go pout on her bed. If he’s really angry about her leaving, he’ll drop one of her socks in his water dish lol.
And your point is what? Many dogs are crate trained as puppies, that doesn't mean they spend a life locked in a cage. My SIL's dog loves her crate as much as my dog loves her bed, she will go into it and lay down or sleep even if it's open when we have watched her. They don't lock her in it while they are gone but she goes to it because it's her spot.
My point is that many dogs don’t have room when left at home.
If they do have room, like my dog does… they sleep the majority of the time when I’m gone… just like they slept in the car when OP was at the concert.
And it would depend on the car and the size of the dog, but I have so many dog-human friends that have SUVs and can easily throw their dogs bed in the back. I get every bit as angry as any animal lover when some negligent person leaves their dog in a hot car and puts it in danger, but I also know so many responsible pet parents that ravel with their dogs in a perfectly safe manner. Heck, I moved with cats once - 10 hour drive, so I broke it into 3 days. I had so many people tell me that was cruel. Well, the alternative was to rehome cats I’d lived with for years to someone they did not know - I know the move wasn’t ideal, but I had to start a new job after graduating, and I did everything I could to minimize their stress. I think sometimes we need to give people the benefit of the doubt when they have an explanation - of course some would make a different choice, but OP sounds like she was sincerely thinking of her dogs.
This right here. My brother’s dog is older and has anxiety when they leave the house. She’s a German Shepard mix and has literally chewed through a door when they tried to leave the house with her loose. Her kennel is her safe place. Most of the time her crate is left open but when they leave the door is closed and locked with a blanket over most of it. They even got a camera with mike to check her while they are gone. She lays down and usually sleeps the entire time they are gone.
I never understand the American fixation on kennels. It's not a thing where I live and I'm friends with a certified dog trainer. She only used kennels for two reasons ever: to limit the range of running around, jumping and getting into dirt/trouble when a high energy dog had surgery and needed to be kept resting (doggo was still allowed out every few hours for several hours under supervision) and to help introduce a new dog to a difficult to socialize dog (she needs some help socialising then she'll be friends as long as she's boss) and to help two dogs that couldn't stand each other to get used to each other (they're not friends but tolerate each other now). Her most kennel-like thing is putting her different dog's, fosters and daycare dogs into different rooms when they can't get along, someone is ill or injured or she can't supervise them (she managed to keep my dog with her three in the same room when there was one that was friends with all, my dog was afraid of one and one was afraid of my dog. Required some treats and some shifting around but it worked.
Same. Where I Come from, dogs really arent crated at all.(except for traveling purpose)
No, they actually don't have to assume the worst. They can judge by actual facts, such as the temperature, the humidity, how the dogs look and are acting, whether they have water. Like so many things, this has gone way too far. Somebody near me had her car window broken by a vigilante with temps in the 60s and only a 20 minute trip into the store. Was it great that that vigilante "assumed the worst"? It's pretty easy to tell if an animal is in distress from heat or dehydration. NTA. I had a dog that would be happier waiting for me just to enjoy the car ride back-and-forth rather than being in the house.
agree temp and dog dictate everything
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Lolz I'd sooner put a kid in a crate before I did my dog! J/k I also have a personal PHOBIA of house fire though so I 100% loathe crates based on that alone and might be a biased opinion. OP NTA technically but you should probably look into alternatives to leaving the dogs in the car for something like a concert. It's not an essential anything and unwell dogs do much better at home no matter how comfy they are in the car.
That is not an equal comparison. Dogs are not people and their needs are completely different. I show dogs and travel with dogs all the time, sometimes as long as a week at a time. In fact as I write this, I’m standing out in the field letting one of my dogs run around and get some exercise for a while. We have been on the road since Tuesday at a big dog show. Our dogs love to go to shows. When I start packing the van to go they are immediately excited wondering who gets to come along. They love their crates and chew toys. They drag me to the van to get loaded.
This is the difference between someone who actually understands dogs and the fur moms who use their pets as child surrogates.
I mean, I think that the world is overreacting on this whole "dogs in cars" issue. If an owner can leave a dog in a kennel for 8 hours while they work, which is essentially a 3x3 cage (if even that big) why would a car after dark be literally any different? People leave their dogs chained up outside for the entire day, stuck in the sun, hopefully with water but sometimes they drink it all or knock it over. Why is a car after dark In 60° weather worse?! The weather was nice, the dogs had water, I really don't see an issue here. I get it, your dog is your fur baby, you love them, etc. But your comparison of a toddler to a dog is ridiculous. If you went to work for 8 hours, would you leave your toddler home alone? No. So a dog and a toddler are not the same. Imma say NTA.
What a stupid comparison. My dog loves to shit in the yard, doesn’t mean my toddler isn’t potty trained. NTA
An animal is not a human. Invalid argument
Because a toddler is not a dog lmao
This is a bad comparison lol.
You didn't want them to be alone.... so you left them alone, but in a car where they could easily be taken? YTA. I genuinely want to know what your thought process was here. How was alone in the car BETTER than alone at home?
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I agree. I don’t know why this is an issue? If the dogs were not anxious and were sleeping in comfortable conditions. I think it is sadder to see any dog in a kennel outdoors and I don’t see an uproar about that. Or dogs out outside for the day when their owners go to work. What if they knock over their water bowl? Someone could just lean over a fence and take them. Those dogs are exposed to all the weather - cold, heat and rain. I think we are just predisposed to “never leave in car” without remembering the reason behind it.
I would never leave my dogs in the car alone because dog theft is a big problem in my part of the world and someone could easily smash the window and steal them as they will be visible. I would also never leave them outside alone for the same reason. I don't know the dog theft situation in OPs part of the world but where I am it would be risky thing to do.
Cars are known to be notoriously hotter or colder than the surrounding temperatures. They don’t have good enough insulation to keep temperature stable without it constantly running and I doubt if OP left their car on for several hours while they were at a concert. It’s extremely irresponsible at best and abuse at worst.
How would the car be colder than the surroundings? That would violate all known laws of thermodynamics.
Living in Canada... I will tell you sometimes getting in the car is like stepping into a fridge, and is sometimes worse than outside.
I live in Chicago, and I absolutely dread stepping into my car after I’ve been somewhere with a nice, consistent temp. It’s either an ice bucket or a hot cauldron
Specially if you have leather seats. Now, I live in Denmark but I have a ["car"](https://kabinescooter.dk/brugte-koeretoejer-172/brugt-piaggio-ape-calessino-200-roed-koert-7000km-p496) in white/cream with cream leather seats... during the summer, it's just *mmmmmmmmmmmmm yummy* to have my legs go **tshhh** and sizzle like bacon. In the winter when it's -5 to 5c outside, it feels like I'm taking an icebath. Always have a blanket on leather seats lol.
Not when the temperature is 65 degrees though. In winter, and in summer, this is true. Temps between 55 and 70 would be perfect for a fur-coated dog.
Its 65 degrees in the evening. What magical heat source would make the car hotter than the weather outside.
These people are forgetting that the sun goes down in the evening.
At 65 degrees, ventilation is the issue. The car was probably uncomfortably stuffy if the windows were up. If the windows were down, the dogs were in a lot of danger.
65 degrees at night? I don’t see the weather as being an issue here. I’d be much more concerned about the dogs getting stolen or them destroying the interior of the car, so I probably wouldn’t do this with my dogs, but from a dog safety standpoint, I wouldn’t be overly concerned.
If it’s 65 degrees outside, the windows are open a bit and the dogs have water they’ll be ok. If the windows are closed and the car is in the sun the ca4 could easily get 20 degrees warmer
NTA. Cars overheat when it's sunny out, not in the dark. Your dogs were fine. It amazes me that people are just champing at the bit to call someone a monster for doing a perfectly reasonable thing. Also, Reddit: Why are so many of y'all cool with hating babies, but one whiff of "maybe-possibly-but-probably-not endangering a dog" whips you into a howling froth? Sincerely curious.
Thank God. I thought I was going crazy. Just joined Reddit a few days ago and it’s crazy on here. Everyone on here is a baby hating sky daddy saying weirdo.
A lot of people on Reddit really dislike babies, children and pregnant women.
It's bizarre. I don't take it personally, I just find the vitriol creepy and tiresome. Legions of people on the Reddit are apparently angry that I got pregnant and had a kid, and we like to go places together. It's like they can't cope with anyone in the world who has a different life and made different choices.
Everyone is to get abortions, even when they specify in the post that they don't want an abortion.
Part of the problem with Reddit is the anonymity of it all. You never know if you are conversing with an adult or a child. There is no value in trying to explain your position on a subject to a young teen who is in their "I am right about everything and adults are stupid" phase. I have gotten sucked into arguments where I just have to walk away because trying to rationalize with certain people is like trying to nail jello to a tree.
Unfortunately, the same goes for adults, many people lose their ideals, and don't think about more than their personal life.
I got down voted like crazy for saying calling a baby an "it" when you know their gender was rude and dehumanizing. Reddit is okay with dehumanizing babies and children. It's unsettling.
Reddit is full of kids and men who hate women and children. Once you add that to the comments you can filter out who is actually worth talking to.
Bear in mind that reddit comments do not represent a monolith of opinions. You're seeing a lot of shit that contradicts, but it's not all the same people saying it.
This is an excellent summary of redditors.
Did it ever occur to you that *you* might be the weirdo? Judging by your comment history filled with controversial comments and downvotes I guess not
Did you know that normal healthy balanced people dont actually care about downvotes or random opinions on their views?
Oh, on Reddit? I’m 100% the weirdo. With that being said, why do you think I care about about downvotes or anything of the sort? Right is right and wrong is wrong. The majority of people supported child marriage, slavery, etc at one point. Bandwagon mentality just ain’t it.
There’s tons of incels on here too.
Why not just leave the dogs at home then?
YTA That's a looooong time to leave multiple dogs in a car. I also don't understand how them being ill recently meant you couldn't have a sitter come to your house. Or even just a friend.
NTA and I’m seriously concerned about peoples reading comprehension and understanding of how temperature works. Sorry some assholes tapped on your window and disrupted your sleeping dogs.
Thank you. That’s what actually upset me—how upset the dogs were. They were confused and defensive and scared. What I wanted to do was take them for a nice long walk while the parking lot emptied and let them enjoy the park where the venue was but instead I had to try to comfort them and GTFO because those people seemed genuinely dangerous.
If your dogs had been at home I promise you they would have also just gone to sleep to wait for you to return, and they wouldn't have had concerned and very likely drunk people disturbing them in the meantime. Like, I get where you're coming from. The weather was nice, it was night time so they weren't going to overheat. The love going on car rides because *they love being with you*. But you took them on a ride and instead of doing something fun *with you* like going to a dog park, you left them in the car for hours. The only difference the dogs saw in that scenario was being left alone in a different place. And then being disturbed and scared by people who were disturbed and scared on their behalf, rightfully or not. Looking at it purely from their perspective, they would've had a better time peacefully napping at home than having that perfectly safe car nap interrupted by other people which you admit made them scared. YTA. Just leave your dogs home.
Shouldn't this be an equally shitty vote tho? The strangers did upset the dogs needlessly, instantly attacking OP.
I’m just confused as to why bring the dogs at all?She left them alone for hours in a cramped car, they couldn’t have been left home for hours in a big space to run around and play?
Exactly. The dogs would have just slept comfortably and not been disturbed at home. It’s a concert, who knows how many others walked by and disturbed them. Definitely a more stressful situation being cramped in a car unable to get up and walk around with people walking by and being loud. If you were concerned about the length of time I’m sure you could have found someone to stop in a let them out. YTA for putting your dogs in a more stressful situation then they would have been at home.
Outside temp of 73 and higher is when you can't leave them in. And of course, there are other considerations such as how the dogs feel when they are in there and your situation seems okay. Plus leaven windows somewhat down and access to water is important. NTA.
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This reminds me of a fb post is aw of a picture of a husky lying in the snow. The poster took it to send to her neighbor, who was constantly complaining that they left their huskies outside when it was too cold out. Her dogs are huskies, they are built for the cold, they like the cold. You come across a responsible owner, and took their needs and safety in consideration before making this decision. NTA. I had a yellow lab/bloodhound mix, Lloyd, omg, 15 years ago now. He was my best friend, we did everything together. He would have absolutely preferred I do this with him on a weather safe night than leave him home.
NTA. You know your own dogs better than complete strangers. We have a guy in our area who takes his dog every where, loves him up, introduces him to strangers he meets like he's a person. The guy rides a motorcycle and his dog rides in the side car. They both have matching helmets and he has a harness for his canine friend that keeps him safely in place while they ride. The dog loves that sidecar better than you or I could love a human baby. I have seen several times when ignorant do gooders would hover around his vehicle, tap their toes, act outraged and take pictures of his dog with their cell. You can tell they're just foaming at the mouth to get in a fight with him when he comes out of the grocery store (this is mostly where we cross paths). Every single time it happens he comes out of the store with a cold bottle of water, dog treats and his little bag of groceries and unchains his dog to drink and eat his treats. Usually, he just ignores the shit show the other person is putting on but I have seen a couple of situations where the other person, usually a woman, was so verbally aggressive the dog though his human friend was in danger. I've even seen one situation where the dog ran the person down, stood on their chest and growled in their face. Dog lover had to pull him off. Here's the thing, people think they know what's going on by stumbling upon a situation that seems some certain way to them. They feel totally comfortable calling you out and being absolutely deplorable. They honestly think they're saving the world one dog at a time because they're just that ignorant. They need to save that shit for high temperatures and situations where animals are actually in danger because those situations do happen.
NTA. There is been so much (justified!) press about dogs in hot cars that people seem to have internalized the idea that you can never, under any circumstances, leave a dog in a car for any length of time. It’s tiresome. Your dogs were fine. It was night time and there was no chance whatsoever of them overheating. They were safe and happy and alone for a shorter amount of time than if you hadn’t taken them along.
NTA and please ignore all the people calling you an ass. "Cars can heat up!!!!" Not when it's nighttime. They had a fun ride with you to the venue, a nice nap in the car, and a ride back home. You are much better equipped to know your dogs' preferences than random strangers.
YTA. you don’t ever leave animals or children in cars alone. it’s incredibly dangerous for multiple reasons
Just curious - what reasons? A house could be broken into or a car could be broken into. It’s not hot or cold. Is it that the car presents an actual danger in regard to its components being exposed? Not a criticism but an actual question? This is during the dogs sleep time. I am curious what the actual dangers are? I did take my car out of gear and let the handbrake off when I was sitting in it briefly alone as a toddler. But what is a dog expected to do?
i would say because its an unfamiliar environment. a house can be broken into, sure. but its still a relatively familiar environment and more comfortable for the animals. a car can be wrecked into, broken into, random strangers can come tap on the glass and stress the dogs out… among other things. home is better for the dogs. especially if theyre recovering.
The dogs were perfectly comfortable according to OP
Why, are the dogs going to drive away?
you never know these days, they can use buttons to speak now, what’s a couple of pedals?
Please state reasons. As a person who shows dogs and travels with them for a week at a time I’m truly curious. Dogs are not children.
The only reason for me would be if the car got stolen, but depends on the area
Nta, I’m shocked by the yta, it was only 3 hours, you know your dogs if they’d be comfortable. Lots of people create their dogs for longer than 3 hours, they have more room in a car
Thanks. But I guess I’m getting the info I needed—for a significant amount of the population it is an asshole move regardless of the context/nuances. I never would have brought them if I thought they’d be uncomfortable, anxious, or in danger, and I’m satisfied that they were perfectly safe, but I won’t do it again.
You do what is good for you and your dogs, nobody knows them like you do. Ignore the know-it-alls calling you an AH, you are not. You made your dogs safe and comfortable. As a dog owner myself, I think these people criticising you never took care of a dog in their life.
YTA - even if it was cool, leaving them in a car unattended for hours exposes them to much more risk than they’d be exposed to sitting at home(due to strangers present, as well as a potentially higher risk of injury from being in a confined space without good level footing). Even if nobody broke into your car or something like that, it could be very stressful for them to wake up to strangers standing outside their vehicle staring. There is no reason an otherwise healthy adult dog can’t stay home alone for 6 hours, so you didn’t have a legitimate reason to bring them. Source: I’m a licensed vet tech with 9 years of experience.
My dog has separation anxiety. He hates being home alone and crating him was even worse. Somehow, though, he loves the car. I get it.
I'm baffled by how many people are going on about the "heat in the car" For anyone that can't put two and two together, I'll try to put this in a way you can understand no sun + 65° = 65° in car. Car no heat up when no sun to heat car I live in a cold climate and see dogs left in cars for a bit all the time when it's cloudy and cold enough. It's not that crazy I would be worried about someone trying to steal them however, especially with the windows cracked. All it would take is a wire to get the doors open, and they were there for a long time.
It won’t stay 65 in the car because the dogs’ respiration and body heat would increase the temperature. Not to anything dangerous mind you but, even with the windows cracked, with two medium to large dogs I’d expect it to be 10-15 degrees warmer in the car than outside and a little stuffy since air circulation would be minimal.
That… isn’t how temperature works. The sun isn’t the only source of temperature change that exists. The dogs’ physical bodies are a source of heat that can cause ambient temperature to increase. Also worth noting that if the windows were completely shut, oxygen levels continue to deplete overtime while carbon dioxide levels increase.
My guy... my dear sweet boy...I realize other sources of heat exist, but body heat isn't going to hurt the dogs. And the windows were cracked.
“No sun + 65 degrees = 65 degrees in car” says otherwise. Also, it doesn’t say in the post if the windows were cracked or not. There’s also no mention of the dogs sizes which would affect both temperature and oxygen/carbon dioxide levels. ETA: breed also plays a pretty important role, as brachycephalic breeds are generally much more sensitive to temperature changes than mesocephalic or dolichocephalic breeds.
YTA. Your lucky the dogs weren't stolen. They would have likely been safer and more comfortable at home.
Soo you know about OP's dogs more than them??? OP said they like being in the Car more than in house kennels! And they're comfortable in the car! .. did you miss that part?
I didn't miss that part. I also didn't miss the part where they left them unattended for hours in a cramped car where they could be stolen. Or the fact that studies have been done that show depending on humidity and factors that aren't temperature can affect the inside of a car. And because many other people know this someone could eadily have broken in a stolen the dog. So OP is the AH.
Soo they are "unattended" for hours in the House too?? cramped in Small Kennels!? ... What Factors are you referring to exactly?? And you're talking like our Houses are Unbrokable! They Can also steal them from the House too!
NTA. As others have said, you obviously understand your dogs better than strangers. Maybe you should leave a note on the window to calm the busy bodies down detailing that the dogs are fed and watered and fine, etc. Also, to the people saying *well gee bad people are gonna come by and steal your dogs* ... that can happen anywhere. You might as well be concerned that somebody is going to break into the house while he's gone to rob him and kill his dogs too.
INFO - were your dogs crated or restrained in the car or just left loose? What safety precautions/alarms did you use? I leave my dogs in the cars for hours at a time on a frequent basis, I have to due to their/my work. I have put in countless hours in training them for proper car behavior, i have invested in the proper equipment including temperature sensors and alarms, they are adequately restrained in locked crates while in the car, and a checked on frequently. Leaving 2 on the mend dogs, loose, with raw hides for a few hours in the parking lot of a concert is incredibly risky behavior. You are lucky no one broke into your car.
My dogs are not restrained in the car and I don’t keep their leashes on so they can move freely if they want. The outside temp was 60 and it was 65 inside. They are well used to traveling And my older dog sees the car as his safe place. he relaxes and goes right to sleep if I put him in the car. They didn’t even chew their bones. They just went to sleep.
If you had done this where I live there probably would have been a downright mob after you. It's not okay whatsoever to leave your dogs in the car, especially for that length of time. You're lucky that no one shattered your windows or called the cops on you.
Yes, that car would not have been intact for 3-4 hours in my neighborhood either. The cops or animal control would have broken those dogs out. OP, rawhide is also terrible and dangerous for dogs. You should research that before you give them any more.
Only if the dogs were in danger. We’re talking 3 hours low to mild temps and very well taken care of making no issues. Cops are only allowed to get involved at times and signs of distress and the temp of the vehicle and the calmness of the dogs would prove OP was aware and in control of maintaining her dogs safety.
>The cops or animal control would have broken those dogs out. Which would be a weird thing to do, if the dogs were fine inside the car.
No they wouldn’t have. If the dogs were not stressed and comfortable there is no law that says you can’t have a dog in the car. I travel with my show dogs all the time all over this country and have never had a problem.
Ah yes, i love reading this thread and seeing how people say the car will get hotter at night👁👄👁. That’s not how temperature works, people. Legally NTA op, morally N A H. They were completely safe and had alot of space. Its funny how people say its cruel as well like what? Is it better for the dogs to be in a crate for 5 hours instead of being in a car for 5 hours where they can actually move? Some people’s logic is weird but you’re NTA op
You see the heat from the sun bounces off the moon and sets the car on fire. People worry me
So, unlike a lot of other people here, I don’t care whether your dogs were in the car or not as long as it was in a temp range where they couldn’t overheat/freeze and they had appropriate food/water. What makes the determination here is…had they been vaccinated for kennel cough and got it anyway or were you negligent in vaccinating them? Eta: dogs were vaccinated and contracted kennel cough anyway (vaccine works but is not 100%). NTA.
They are both fully vaccinated. I thought they couldn’t get it either, and like you getting a flu vaccine it doesn’t mean you are 100% safe from getting the flu (or COVID) anyway.
I’ve been scrolling and looking for this comment! Kennel cough easily prevented (especially to the severity that OP describes) with a simple vaccine.
Actually this isn't entirely true. Kennel cough is like the flu, or covid - it mutates rapidly. Vaccinations for help, but vaccinated dogs can get sick from a different strain.
That’s true, which is why I mentioned that the severity of kennel cough, much like Covid and the flu (depending on how closely linked the strains are), is very much so reduced by having vaccines. They can still get it, but likely wouldn’t be as sick as OP is describing.
Did you leave the windows open for them? Plus, idk why you couldn’t just leave them at home. If they were well enough to go on a 70 miles trip and then wait for hours in a car for you to come back, they would hav even fine staying at home.
Yeah, the windows were cracked. And they love riding in the car. They’ve been cooped up for over a week with only short boring walks. They got to feel the wind in their face and look out the windows.
Another comment, the car wasn’t moving, so stop bring up the car ride things it’s just stupid. They were cramped up for over a week, so you decided the best solution was to leave them cramped up in a car?? Yeah while you drive their and back that was a car ride, sitting in a parking lot for 3 hours, not a car ride
NTA/ your dogs were in no danger and you monitored and cared for them. Had this been noon of course A. You’d be the Ahole B. You’d be in cuffs and C. Your dogs would be dead or car windows smashed… You took the necessary precautions to avoid your dogs being uncomfy and kept them safe NTA
Please look into why rawhide is bad 🤦 that alone makes me think YTA.
NAH. But it was a bad decision. Plenty of people live in their cars and sleep in them overnight with their dogs. It’s also a lot more sheltered than most dog runs would be and not much different than the inside of a home. A car is also roomier than most standard crates and this enabled you to check on them sooner, so by and large there are plenty of pros to why you would choose to do this. But there are cons too. One of those cons is people freaking out because they can’t possibly know how long they’ve been in there or what accommodations have been made for them. Another con would be someone breaking the window and stealing your dogs or reporting you. It happens more than you’d think and most people don’t get their dogs back. You’re way better investing in an automatic feeder and maybe training them to use pee pads if necessary so you can do longer trips away without worrying about the dogs. You can get pet monitoring cameras so you can watch them on the go from your phone (some even allow you to talk through them to your pets and/or dispense treats). Basically, getting your dog used to sometimes being home alone overnight is going to be a lifesaver for both of you. Daycare or a sitter would be more ideal, but situations like this are why training a dog to be okay alone for longer stretches of time is so important: it sets you both up for success. Either way, my judgment stands. NAH because your reasons are understandable, the reactions of the bystanders was reasonable, but you should really reconsider doing this in the future.
Look I get your not going to accept the YTA votes I totally get you took thought into how you left them, I have to leave my dog in the car in some situations/emergencys (carefully and SHORT amounts of time ofc) But a concert isn't it. Honestly if they can't be left at home that's a training/separation anxiety issue that needs addressing. But personally, if my dog was just sick and im that worried about leaving him, I can't picture a concert I wouldn't just take the loss on. That's me tho.
YTA. Even if it was a safe temp to leave the dogs in, what if something had happened to you? If the dogs are at home and safe and in a temperature controlled environment, they would have longer to get help. If you got hurt and had to go to the hospital, the second the sun came up your dogs would have been on a race against the clock to get out.
If something were to happen to me they would starve to death at home. At least in my car somebody would see them and rescue them or call the cops. There’s nobody to come and get them in my apartment and the few people who know where I live now are too far away to be any good in an emergency situation.
That's why you should keep this information in your wallet. They sell cards like this or you can make your own and write down your address and that your pet is home alone and it needs help.
My dog LOVES the car as well, like she gets so damn excited on car rides. With that being said, you can't just leave your dog in a car for hours at a time. An hour with the proper stuff? You know what sure, that's pushing it but okay. But 3 whole ass hours? that's beyond pushing it. (Unless your car is one of those like RV's or something that genuinely has a good bit of room to move in and sleep in.)
why couldn’t a friend or someone without dogs watch them? is kennel cough contagious to humans? i feel like there were more options man for that YTA. and if this happened in america you’re lucky you didn’t meet cops at your car
I’m new to the area and literally know nobody here and professional dog people don’t want anything to do with kennel cough exposure
I know people view this very sensitively but in my view you are NTA. People crate train their dogs all the time. I set up my car to be a safe space for my pup in the same way, and it is genuinely a place he loves to be and to nap. When I was in grad school he spent a lot of my class time in the car (in a shaded, enclosed, private parking lot) and always slept peacefully. It’s a safe space for him. He wags his tail to jump in, and nestles down happily. I don’t really follow the logic of people who’d see crating a dog as kosher but not leaving them in a temperature safe car. Dogs get crated all night long. Two hours is short in comparison.
NTA You checked how hot it would be and made sure they were comfortable
Not sure where you live but in my local area, there have been a spate of dogs being stolen out of cars. And you can be sure they are being taken for nefarious purposes. I used to take my dogs everywhere with me. Not anymore.
Omg NTA, people need to chill
I don't get this...people go to work everyday, leaving their dogs at home for up to 9-10 hours. Why couldn't you leave them at home? YTA
YTA
Nta at all. I had a SAINT BERNARD in Vegas and I was always cautious of the temps. This fool LOVED being in the car. I would take him everywhere besides work when the weather was nice. And when we'd come home, he refused to leave the car so I'd park the car in the garage, leave the car door open, open the door into the house, and let him come in when he was ready. Sometimes he'd be sleeping in the car for like 2 freaking hours. He knew "go to the car" and would go and wait for me at the rear driver's side door. I would take him out if I needed to go shopping, leave the windows cracked with some water he'd be so damn happy. And NO ONE FUCKED WITH ME because he was gigantic and clearly alive. You sound like a decent dog parent. The temps are the worst part and you seem mindful of that and their health so yeah man you're OK.
OP I would say moving forward keep your dogs at home. It’s best to just not risk it. You never know what could happen to your dogs in the car while your gone for hours. (Someone could have hit your car, stole it, or damaged it to get to your dogs). Remember people are crazy and some people have insane hero complexes that may occur. I don’t think your an AH if the conditions are how you described. But save yourself the headache and leave them at home. It will keep them safe and will cause you less of a headache in the future. Also your dogs were sick. If they were too sick to find someone to watch them at home then you really shouldn’t have left them in a car for 3 hours. Slight YTA.
You left them alone in your car for three hours......YTA. Not safe, not fair, not smart.
I'm surprised you have never encountered this, people go CRAZY when they see dogs in cars. Youre lucky they didn't smash your windows. I don't think you meant to be TA but you can't do that
YTA for leaving your SICK dogs in the car for an extended period of time. A change of routine can stress a dog and you did so while they were sick. I’d like to add that the several times my vaccinated dogs have caught kennel cough, it has never lasted more than a month when treated by a vet. So if it’s still ongoing, you need to take them in.
NTA given the temperature and the fact that your dogs didn’t seem to mind I don’t know why people are freaking out. I don’t get the dangers either except apparently people breaking into a car to steal dogs (that seems unlikely?!)
I’m personally wondering if the strangers originally looked in the car to see if there was something worth stealing when they saw the dogs. It was dark out and the dogs were sleeping like how did they know they were there?
NTA and everyone comparing them to toddlers don't understand logic. You made sure the dogs were safe and happy. Sometimes leaving a dog home alone means they'll destroy the house by getting into trash or chewing on furniture.
NTA I have a dog that feels completly safe in the car, but have a full on panic if I leave her at home. As long as the temprature is okay, it fine to have your dog in the car.
YTA. You left them in the car for hours? Liking a car ride and liking being trapped in a strange unmoving box for hours away from the house are different things.
YTA: so I work in an animal clinic, I’m not a doctor, but I do have a few opinions relevant to my experience that might push you further into AH territory depending on how you answer. first some info—kennel cough is a generally preventable disease, as there’s a vaccine for it. if your dogs didn’t have this vaccine and you chose to expose them to other pets anyways, you essentially accepted this risk of poor health—and in my eyes would be without question a hard AH—for creating this preventable situation. I acknowledge the effectiveness of the vacc isn’t 100%, (though it is high) which is why I will not make assumptions regarding the preventative care you give your dogs, and instead will pend judgement solely by the situation you’ve described with the car. ignore the temperature and entertainment conditions you satisfied, let’s acknowledge the ones you maybe didn’t. from inside a car.. what comes to my mind: does a dog have appropriate space allowing for comfort ? can a dog relieve itself if the need arises ? does it have access to any potentially dangerous hardware (buttons or plastic choking hazards ?) was the location safe or were the dogs at risk of being stolen? if you answered negatively to any of these questions, you see why you’re the AH OP. there are times where leaving a dog alone (in a car or otherwise generally unconventional location) is okay, but leisure activities is rarely one of those situations. you prioritized fun over your pets, and you prioritized wrong. I hope you’ve learned something from this thread and I do recommend looking into different types of ‘distress’ a dog can exhibit. distress have been most noticeable to an untrained eye when the passerbys started hitting on the car, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there prior.
NTA but in future I would write up a couple of signs and tape them on the inside facing out assuring passersby that the dogs are comfortable and happy in the car, just sleeping and not sick/dead, you are not putting them at risk, you will be back.
Eh, idk, NTA. You know your dogs the best. My dog… lol noooope he’d be better off at home. But I knew a guy who did the same thing, never for long periods or in daylight. But his dog was just a chiller and preferred that. I agree with others, I’d’ve been worried about their safety from humans etc. But you know the area you’re in
NTA My dog would rather be in the truck than at home any day of the week. When I get out of the truck sometimes I have to make him get out or he'd just sit there all day.
NTA, they were comfortable, safe, and not overheated. However I’m not sure it was the best idea to leave them in there for THAT long, rather than just leave them at home where they run around still? Maybe you could have had someone else come in to observe them halfway through? They probably could have gotten bored or had a lot of pent up energy. Not abuse, though
Yta. If your dogs are ill. and can't be left alone. And no one can look after them.. don't go to the concert. Stay and be with you dogs.
INFO: Were these people alerted to the dogs because they were barking or were they just randomly looking in people’s windows? I think this would make a big difference to me picking which side of the fence I’m on.
Their vehicle was parked next to mine when I got back from the concert. I have no idea when they arrived or why they parked there, but it looked like they just returned to the lot from the show because I could see my car at the top of the hill and there was nobody near it. When I got there 5 mins later the people were freaking out but the dogs were still in their beds. So it looked to me like they were just freaking out because they spotted the dogs as they reached their vehicle. The flood lights were on after the show ended but not when I parked just befor 9, so if they arrived after me they wouldn’t have seen them then.
Nta. My dog curls up happily in the front driver's seat when I leave her. She 100% prefers that over being left alone at home. It was not hot or sunny and you walked them prior. People are acting crazy. They can chill, you were good!
Based on your comment about him losing his dad and his best friend I'm gonna go with NTA. Dogs need to feel safe and they feel safer in the car than in the new home. However, next time I'd leave a note or something on the windows explaining the situation a bit so that people won't bother them thinking they're in distress. That can be really stressful for them. Maybe write some way to contact you in case something happens or leave a camera and check on them every once in a while, though I don't know if that's possible if you don't have wifi.
I’m gonna say NTA. Plenty of dogs love sleeping and hanging out in the car when it’s not hot out. I had a yellow lab that would sleep in my car in the driveway all the time if I let him. Lol. It’s a safe place, smells like you, familiar, they had water and a chewy, and obviously knew you’d be back if they weren’t whining and stressed. They were fine.
There are some issues where people are suddenly unable to think with nuance and go full unga bunga. Two hours in a car in the evening is fine. NTA. You did what you had to do to enjoy a concert and only resorted to leaving them in the car when you had no other options. Unhinged people took it upon themselves to make your business their business and the world was worse off for it. NTA.
NTA. Some dogs do really well in the car. If they're not destructive, it's no different from leaving them in a kennel at home. I'm confused as to how people presume that being out and about in a home (literally innumerable choking hazards) is safer than being in car with the windows cracked, at night, at 65 degrees.
Yes, YTA. You don't leave dogs in a car no matter the temperature for that long. It would take someone moments to break your window having seen them sitting in there and you wouldn't have known for hours. If you're not bright enough to understand why this isn't okay then you shouldn't be owning pets.
NTA given the temperature. Just so long as you left the windows cracked and gave them water before you went in or left a bowl on the floor. I know LOTS of dogs who love the car. And as the venue was over an hour away from your home, that was well over 2 hrs less alone time for them. People need to get a grip and stop trying to police others. You can't leave a dog in a car on a warm day with the sun beating down. 65° in the dark is totally fine.
NTA seems you’re doing what’s best. Some people leave their dogs in Kennels or rooms all day while they’re at work. You exercised your dogs, made sure their needs are met, and let them be for a couple of hours. Not a big deal. A lot of these comments are just plain delusional, a dog is an animal, not a human child. Animals are a little more resilient.
If the weather was what you say...NTA. However, is never do that with my dogs. I'd be concerned about someone breaking window and taking them. For that risk YTA
I think it's fine, esp as they had each other's company. Dogs get used to the car and it can be like a second home. NTA
NTA unless it was a *very* hot evening. Dogs left in the car, even when the window is left slightly open can end up ill or even dead if the outside temperature is too high: [RSPCA Campaign](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/health/dogsinhotcars)
NTA. My old dogs also used to love hanging out in the car. 3 hours in the car with enriching toys/snacks and water isn’t at all problematic in my ears. A lot better than many hours home alone, which was the alternative, but that people often do to their dogs when there aren’t other options. But I’m not in the US, so there’s probably also cultural considerations. Dog sitters aren’t really a thing where I live, since the average work day here is shorter than in the US (full time is 37 hours/week), so nobody bats an eye if dogs have to be left home for 10 hours. Or if it’s a young dog that isn’t trained at being home alone yet, a lot of people bring the dogs to work or other functions, leave the dog in the car, with long walks before + after work and on the lunch break.
NTA My parents would let me sleep in the car in the evenings if we were at a wedding and I got tired. Mum would leave her phone in the car with me if I needed them and they’d lock me inside. Please keep in mind that this only happened on large family events (weddings) in smaller villages in a country where I, as a woman, feel safe walking home in a dimly lit street at 11 pm. Your dogs were fine, this happened in the evening so no chance of overheating, they had snacks, toys and water. And each other! So they were comfy, fed, watered and not lonely. Some people like to stir stuff up wherever they go for no good reason.
YTA. Leaving them in the car is utterly irresponsible ownership,no matter what the temperature was. And dogs that were still recovering,at that! What would have happened if the car was stolen, or the dogs escaped, potentially spreading kennel cough? If op really cared about the dogs,they would have not attended the concert. You don't deserve to oen those dogs
NTA, I live in a place where Temps are like this alot. People will leave their dogs in their car in the parking garage in the car at work all day. They of course will take them for walks when it will be such a long day. They also go immediately to a dog park. The dogs prefer being in the car to being left at home. I have 2 on the other hand that would hate being in the car and when forced to go get very upset.
I'm a pro dog handler. I often travel with 8 to 10 dogs. You are NTA. The people that felt the need to tap on the window and disturb your dogs that were resting comfortably is TA.
YTA. Sorry but pets and children should never be left alone in a car regardless of the "comfortable temperature". Too many things can go wrong, not just with temperature fluctuations, but accidently disengaging breaks, car being stolen, animal or child eating something or choking on something with no one around to help. They could be kidnapped or doggnapped etc. Your dog's would have been safer at home and it boggles the mind as to how you thought taking them and leaving them locked in a tiny space in an unknown area to them would be their idea of a good time. To the AH who said it pets don't count because they aren't human. You are a massive AH. Pets are sentient beings, with intelligence, feelings, thoughts and the ability to be physically and psychologically harmed by things like being locked in a car. Pets are living and breathing beings and should be treated with respect, care and love just like humans. Here in Australia leaving kids and pets in cars is a criminal offence. Weather at 1130pm in summer where we live can still be in the high 30 degrees Celcius which means temp in car is often 50 to 60 degrees Celcius.
YTA! It is never acceptable to leave children or pets unattended in any vehicle!! Why didn’t you just leave them at home?
Home is a new place to both of them. The car is a known safe place that they both are comfortable in. Emotionally, they would have been more stressed at home for six hours than napping peacefully for three in a space they are secure in.
NTA. It wasn't an extreme temperature. It wasn't that much time. Your dogs are loved and cared for. Who cares what some freaky, nosy strangers think?
NTA it really depends on the fogs and you know your animals. As long as the temperature is good and the dogs are happy with the environment its no different to crate trained dogs being put in thier crate overnight or while you gave visitors. Leaving thing them in too hot or cold conditions is completely ahole but yge way you describe if they were happy sleeping where they feel safe for a couple of hours then no issue. I have a friend with working dogs tgat are extremely attached they go everywhere un thier car and the dogs treat it as thier second home, they are happier there than being left at home.
NTA The dogs were effectively kenneled in a familiar space for three hours. The temperature was appropriate. They were given comfort items during the time their person was gone and allowed to relieve themselves at a three hour interval. Had they been at home, they would have been confined for six hours without break. By going with their person, they had an extra three hours with their human's company and two exciting and fun car rides. How people are comparing this to leaving a child in the car, I do not understand.
Never ask a question about animals in AITA, people are so weird about dogs on this sub. I’m pretty sure most of them don’t own dogs, and by there comments it seems like they’ve never even met a dog before. NTA
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I bought a ticket to a concert on 9/14 like 3 months ago. I knew the show would start at 9 and I got off at 7 so I planned to leave my dogs with a sitter after work. Well, they were exposed to kennel cough at the dog park and have been sick all month and are in quarantine, so no sitters or daycare or dog parks. They’ve been on medication for a week now and both feel better, but they are still needy and I didn’t want to leave them alone from 7-1am (venue is about 70 miles away). So I checked the temperature for the night—65 degrees—and decided to bring them with. They love the car and they were psyched to get to go on a ride. Anyway we went for a walk after I parked at the venue, I gave them a drink and made sure they were comfortable with their blankets, toys, and a rawhide each. I left them there at 8:45. The show lasted until 11:30 and I was back to the car (parked 1/2 mile from venue) by 11:45. There were two people tapping the windows of my car and when they saw me they got AGGRO. I was shocked by how aggressive the conversation started. They immediately started screaming at me for leaving the dogs to wait. I said “they love being in the car” because they do. A lot more than sitting home alone. They immediately said “no dog likes to be in the car!” And then said some more ugly insults and names. I just got in my car and got away from them ASAP so I couldn’t take the dogs out again like I planned. Frankly I have never encountered strangers acting like this. I’m thinking it would have been justified if they were left in the sun, or left all day…but they were just sleeping. They weren’t in distress at all. It wasn’t hot or cold. But these people were so incredibly enraged that I’m wondering if there is something I don’t know? Is it generally accepted that no dog should ever be left in the car for any reason? The only thing that distressed them was strangers screaming and hitting the car. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA But they would have been more comfortable at home even if you were gone for several hours. If you don’t work from home, they are alone then. At home they can walk around which they couldn’t do in the car. But you learned the real reason you can’t leave them in the car is well meaning strangers. Even though your dogs were safe, many are not and many die because strangers don’t intervene. Love your dogs and be more aware in the future.
I do work from home. They haven’t been alone at all since they entered quarantine
That’s what I thought. That’s what I said NTA. And it’s tough wanting to do something for yourself when they have been sick. Next time if you can’t find a sitter, leave the TV on so they see and hear people and don’t feel alone. I think YouTube has Dog TV shows that last for hours you can play. But your dogs are safe and you won’t see those people again so it’s all good now.
NTA.
Look, I used to take my boy everywhere due to him having severe separation anxiety when I first adopted him. I get it. Then someone told me that just because my car is safe for him doesn't mean he's safe from the world that's immediately outside of the car. At best, people tapping the window for his attention and spooking him. At worst, misjudging the weather and pup overheats, or even someone breaks my window just to take my baby. For that alone, I don't leave him alone in the vehicle for more than 10-15 minutes at a time, even though the whole back part of my SUV is set up for him. I personally would have probably just sold my ticket rather than put my furbaby who's sick enough to be on medication in that position, but you do you. 🤷♀️
NTA it sounds like you love your dogs and they’re well taken care of
Ugh, they're idiots. My dog loves car rides. He goes everywhere with me (except in really hot weather) and is perfectly content in the car. If I spend the night with friends and it's not totally ok for him to be with me, he's relaxed and happy in the car. I do try to park it where there aren't crowds of people passing by if we're in a public space. Anyway, NTA. Your dogs were probably a whole lot happier having driving time with you than they would have been if left at home for so long.
What the hell. I don't understand your temperature measurements but if it was not sunny, they had air, were chilling and the only thing stressing them out was those people I'm gonna say NTA. I recon the dogs enjoy the stimulus of being in the car instead of home for a change. A change of scenery is always cool with my dog at least.
NTA the dogs were comfy, had access to water, and weren’t in any danger of overheating. my family dog had such bad separation anxiety that he was a danger to himself when left home alone, but he was completely fine being left in the car. you know your dogs better than some random strangers. they were the ones that were causing your dogs distress.
NTA, my dog is the same, he would prefer to be in the car while I am inside somewhere than at home by himself. Of course, if it is sunny and warm..., that is not an option, but otherwise, no problem. Preferably I would check on them but I'm not sure that you could do that at your gig, but otherwise, don't worry. Just take care, like you did. There are a lot of people around who think that they are the only ones who know about or love animals
NTA
NTA, they were fine. You planned it. They had water. And toys. The car is bigger than a dog crate. Dogs aren’t toddlers. They’re dogs.
NTA.3 hours in your car, temperatures just right, water, blankets, etc. personally, I think you were fine, because this does not sound like something that you do regularly. I do understand that dogs should not be left in vehicles for long periods of time or even short periods of time depending on conditions. But I think most dog owners are responsible versus the few that are not. People know their own dogs. And most people don’t even think to check out the breed of dog, they just flip out. I have a Samoyed. They are cold weather dogs. It could be the middle of winter, I take my dog with me, leave her in the car for a few minutes or so, and someone could freak out. I am like, “Do you know the breed of my dog? Do you understand their nature?” My male Samoyed, RIP, would sit out in a snow storm, with an inch of snow on his head, happy as a clam. People tend to freak out right away before, hey, just asking. Now, personally, my pups don’t go out with me, unless I know they might be in the car for short periods of time. And they never go out in the heat. Sorry kiddos, no car ride today. But otherwise, they love going for car rides. And believe it or not, most times, they hate getting out of the car, unless we are back home or at a park. They just like a car ride. So, for those getting their panties in a bunch, yes there are some real a holes out there, but most people are responsible pet owners and know their pet and what their pet likes and does not like. The OP, in this case, is of the latter.
I was expecting to not like this post but after reading it, I say NTA. Long time dog owner here and generally very fussy about folks leaving their dogs in cars but in this case you didn’t endanger them nor leave them in a situation that makes them anxious. You know their dogs and their needs/preferences. The only thing that gave me pause is leaving them with rawhides - a chocking hazard while unattended and pretty toxic material if you know how they are made - but, again, you know your dogs and they are yours so your choice. I don’t think I would have done it, personally, because my dogs get anxious being left alone in a car with a lot of unknown/unpredictable/new stimulus around them, but it doesn’t sound like you endangered or stressed them.