Cindy and I were walking around one of the outdoor shopping areas in Eugene this weekend, and as we were walking through the parking lot, we walked by this little chihuahua mix alone in a car, barking like crazy.Granted, it’s not exactly scorching-hot in Eugene at the moment, but I just can’t stand it when I see dogs left in cars while their owners go off shopping.

I just don’t really get it. If your dog is just going to sit in the car alone, why even bring your dog? I suppose if you just finished taking your dog for a romp at the dog park, and you wanted to pick up some milk real quick while you’re out, that’s understandable. But leaving your dog in the car while you spend an hour in Pottery Barn? It just makes no sense.

I’m most bothered when I see dogs in cars during the summer. Oh, but the WINDOW is cracked, of course, so that makes everything OK. People, let’s remember that our dogs have HAIR, like, all over their bodies and they can overheat very, very fast in the summertime. It just takes a few minutes for the inside of a car to get really hot…and your dog can die in those few minutes.

It’s a simple concept: If you want to spend the day around town and plan on taking your dog, make sure to go to dog-friendly places. Otherwise, leave your dog at home.