I’ve spent lots of time pointing out fun, helpful, and interesting things that a pet lover might be interested in, but today I want to show you something that is a really stupid idea.
The Walky Lock car lock may, in fact, be just about the worst idea I’ve seen in a long time.
This is basically a little prop that holds the back of your trunk open just a wee bit. It’s kind of like rolling your window down, except it will cost you $20.
The ad says, “How many times have you rushed your shopping because you felt guilty about your dog being “caged” in your car. … The WalkyLock is the ideal solution when you need to leave your dog inside the car for a short period of time, while you’re shopping or visiting a friend.”
Oh, I beg to differ! Leaving the back hatch cracked 6 inches doesn’t give you carte blanche to go running around the mall or drinking lattes with your BFF. This is a false sense of security and it does NOTHING to make your dog safer.
If you’ve ever left your dog in a car on a warm day, thinking, “It’s not that hot…” PLEASE STOP.
Study after study has shown that the temperatures inside a car can skyrocket, even on a relatively cool day, even in very short amounts of time. If there is direct sunlight, your car acts like a little heat trapper even when the outside temperature is nice and cool. People and pets have died of heat stroke when it was 70 degrees out. And cracking the windows doesn’t do a thing, nor does this useless product.
Just a couple of weeks ago I was out having lunch with my kids when I saw a little dog’s head pop up in the back of a Suburban in the parking lot. The back windows were, of course, cracked about 2 inches. It was 82 outside, and the car had been there for 45 minutes. As I was calling the police to come break the windows, the cashier managed to find the dog’s owner- enjoying a smoothie in the air conditioned restaurant while his dog slow-boiled in his car. The bitterest irony was that the place had outdoor seating, where dogs were allowed.
Needless to say, this product does not get the pawcurious seal of approval.
Hell, earlier this week we had a baby die after being left in a car on a 65-70 degree day. People are remarkably stupid sometimes, and it makes me sick when innocents pay the price.
Oh geez. I’m writing that company and asking them NOT to sell those. That’s horrible!!