WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — This June was Denver's second-hottest on record. And with temperatures expected to climb this week, law enforcement and health experts are warning against leaving kids and pets in hot cars.
In recent weeks, Wheat Ridge police have stepped in to help twice after dogs were left alone in overheated spaces.
In June, officers were called to save a pit bull mix who'd been left alone in a scorching trailer.
"After we were able to get into the trailer, didn't see any water. There's no air conditioning running," Wheat Ridge Police Department spokesperson Alex Rose said.
Rose said the investigation into that case is still ongoing, but they've identified the owner. Police have issued a notice of violation for inhumane treatment and animal cruelty under the city municipal code, but they haven't yet been able to make contact with the owner to deliver them a summons for the misdemeanor charge, Rose said.
Thankfully, the dog was OK after officers stepped in.
"Based on my last conversation with Foothills, the dog's doing great," Rose said. "And I just learned that she has since been adopted back out."
Just a week later, officers were called out for another dog left in a hot car. Passersby called police after someone left their shih tzu behind in the car while they went into a nearby business to shop.
That owner was given a stern talking-to and a written warning by officers.
Rose said they take these cases seriously.
"Even just a couple of minutes left alone in a car, whether it's a dog or a kid, that could be potentially deadly," Rose said.
"Cars heat up really quickly," said Britney Lombard, Injury Prevention Manager at Children's Hospital Colorado. "They can heat up as many as 20 degrees in 10 minutes and will continue to heat up after that. So even on a 70 or 80 degree day, it can become dangerous really quickly."
Lombard said a child's body temperature can rise five times faster than an adult's, and children can overheat at lower temperatures, making even cooler summer days concerning.
"So things that might feel comfortable or just a little uncomfortable for us could be really dangerous for children," Lombard said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports about 40 kids each year will die from heatstroke after being left in a hot car.
The latest case was an 8-year-old girl in North Carolina who died in June after being left in a hot car by her mom.
"These cases are especially painful," Lombard said. "And over half of these cases a child has unintentionally been left in a car, meaning the caregiver maybe got distracted or got involved with a different project and forgot the child was in their car at that time."
The Colorado Department of Transportation reports seven kids have died in Colorado from heatstroke in a car in the past 25 years. Thankfully, there haven't been any child heatstroke deaths in the past 10 years.
But with hot temperatures on the way for July, Lombard said parents need to stay vigilant.
"It could happen to anybody, because our brains are really bad at multitasking," Lombard said. "We're not great at doing 10 things at once despite the fact that we have those types of pressures on us every day. So it really is important to be consistent and check the back seat every single time."
While a Colorado law provides immunity for people who enter a locked vehicle to help an at-risk person or animal from situations like hot cars, police said if you see a pet or person in danger or overheated, call them immediately for help.
“At the end of the day, if you see something like this happening, give us a call. Don’t take it upon yourself, because this is what we’re paid for. This is what we are trained to do. We have the tools and the knowledge to be able to handle these situations in a safe way," Rose said.
Lombard said to keep kids safe, make sure you always lock your car even while you're at home, so kids playing don't end up getting stuck in a hot car. For parents with rear-facing children in the back seat, Lombard said moving your phone can help serve as a reminder.
“One thing that I always did and always recommend to caregivers is to leave their cell phone in the back seat of the car," Lombard said. "That’s something that they’ll notice pretty immediately and it gives them a constant reminder to check in the back seat. And then the added bonus is that it will prevent them from driving distracted as well."
For more tips on how to keep kids safe from hot cars, visit Safe Kids.
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