Wednesday 1 August 2012

"It seems like a lot of money to spend but I really love my dogs."

Victoria Davidson, 43, left Monty and Scrappers in her car on a cloudy day for what she thought would be a ten-minute business meeting.
But the meeting lasted more than half an hour and by the time she got back, her dogs were suffering from heat exhaustion.
But fear not! Victoria had a great idea as a result of this!

What?

No, no! Not to never be so bloody stupid again! Perish the thought!

No, the great idea was....to make some money out of gullible idiots as dim as her:
Mrs Davidson, a former equestrian eventer, launched her AnimAlarm device two months ago and is selling it from her home in Maisemore, Gloucestershire.
The gizmo, which costs £108, looks like a TV remote control and is the size of a mobile phone.
The user sets the maximum temperature to be reached before an alarm is triggered and places the device in a shaded part of the car.
It sends the user a text message if the temperature reaches the present threshold.
The police will probably order thousands of units.

21 comments:

Lynne said...

Maybe she should invent a device that sounds an alarm whenever she reaches the critical mass of stupid, forgetful bitchery?

Twenty_Rothmans said...

Well, if she forgets to set the alarm, she'll only have to throw the dogs away, it is probably rated to 50C.

"sends the user a text message "
Does nobody turn his phone off during meetings except me?

"Sorry, I have to take this, Scrappers is having a fit"

Anonymouslemming said...

Lawsuit in 3... 2... 1

"I didn't know the place I parked my car had no signal!"

Anonymous said...

Out of interest, how many dogs a year actually die in Great Britain from being left in hot cars? Various campaign groups say thousands but don't give actual statistics. The only item I found was a story from the SPCA where they said two dogs had died in this way in Scotland during the year. Both in the same incident. Someone must have actual figures but where are they.

Anonymous said...

I saw an experiment where the temperature in a car on a hot sunny day went up to 50% in minutes and all they had to do was leave the thermometer exposed to the direct sun.

But if temperatures in a car can get unbearable so quickly, why can I drive a car on a hot day without air conditioning on or windows wound down and still not suffocate?

John Tee said...

why can I drive a car on a hot day without air conditioning on or windows wound down and still not suffocate?

I bet you have the fan on though. Moving air cools you. I regularly work in 50 degrees C. In moving air it is bearable, in still air it is not.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

".....But if temperatures in a car can get unbearable so quickly, why can I drive a car on a hot day without air conditioning on or windows wound down and still not suffocate?...."

Well for one you don't have a bloody thick fur coat on all the time. And you are able to perspire to cool down on all areas of your body other than just your tongue.

Isn't it incredible in this day and age that people fail to see the obvious? No? Ok, I suppose not.

You've probably never kept dogs, thank goodness. Hang on though - this is 21st Century Britain after all. Anything is possible, even likely. One thing is at least true to the above - you're a callous sounding individual of the type now abounding.

As regards a certain skepticism about dogs dying in cars ........ didn't a Police dog (or was it two) suffer this exact fate just a year or two ago?

Anonymous said...

Even better how about car manufacturers having a temperature controlled automatic window opener and fan starter as an optional extra for the irresponsible dog owner.

Furor Teutonicus said...

I LIKE hot dogs!

Anonymous said...

Does nobody turn his phone off during meetings except me?

"Sorry, I have to take this, Scrappers is having a fit"


Ha ha ha.......

I have to say, if anyone broke off a meeting with me to take a text message from their fucking dog that would be the last meeting they would ever get.

JuliaM said...

"Maybe she should invent a device that sounds an alarm whenever she reaches the critical mass of stupid, forgetful bitchery?"

I think that might breach noise regulations...

"Does nobody turn his phone off during meetings except me?"

No. Not is my recent experience is anything to go by. Meeting etiquette needs a good look at this.

"Out of interest, how many dogs a year actually die in Great Britain from being left in hot cars?"

I can't say I've ever seen a definitive figure (that I trust).

JuliaM said...

"But if temperatures in a car can get unbearable so quickly, why can I drive a car on a hot day without air conditioning on or windows wound down and still not suffocate?"

I think John Tee and anon have put their finger on it. Me, I always open the windows!

"...didn't a Police dog (or was it two) suffer this exact fate just a year or two ago?"

Indeed! Check the second link... ;)

Anonymous said...

"You've probably never kept dogs, thank goodness. Hang on though - this is 21st Century Britain after all. Anything is possible, even likely. One thing is at least true to the above - you're a callous sounding individual of the type now abounding."

I have a medium sized dog (50 lb)which enjoys travelling with me and which gets left in the car sometimes. In such a case I park in the shade, leave the windows open and make regular visits to him to give him a short walk. He's never shown any signs of distress. On the other hand he's a rescue dog and hates being left on his own for long periods at home, probably because he's afraid of being abandoned again.

And if a fur coat is such a problem, how do dogs manage to live in Australia, Asia and the Middle East in places where there is little shade? Do you think that possibly they may have adapted to the conditions?

John Tee said...

And if a fur coat is such a problem, how do dogs manage to live in Australia, Asia and the Middle East in places where there is little shade? Do you think that possibly they may have adapted to the conditions?

They tend to stay in the shade. They tend to avoid being inside closed metal and glass boxes.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, so Australian cattle dogs didn't actually drive the cattle over long distances, they got the sun loungers out and had a nice cool drink and then in the evening they caught the train to catch up with the cattle at their next halt.

And personally speaking, my little metal and glass box has necver got anywhere near some of the temperatures that can occur naturally in some countries.

John Tee said...

And personally speaking, my little metal and glass box has necver got anywhere near some of the temperatures that can occur naturally in some countries.

It does if you leave it in the sun with the windows shut - which is what the original subject of the blog did.

Anonymous said...

My computer isn't opening the link but did she leave the windows closed or is that an assumption?

Personally I leave all four windows open wide enough for the dog to put his nose out but not enough to bite unles anyone reaches in.

If it rains then he has two windows open on the dry side.

I think most owners would do this.

John Tee said...

My computer isn't opening the link but did she leave the windows closed or is that an assumption?

It doesn't say but I think it is a fair assumption because, as you say, there would not have been a problem had she left the windows open.

Furor Teutonicus said...

XX Anonymous said...


And if a fur coat is such a problem, how do dogs manage to live in Australia, Asia and the Middle East in places where there is little shade? Do you think that possibly they may have adapted to the conditions?
2 August 2012 12:56 XX

Until dogs live their entire lives, for a couple of generations, on the back seats of cars, "adapted to the conditions?" is hardly relavant to the point, is it?

Anonymous said...

Well, yes, it is.Dogs, like people, can adapt to conditions. You say a couple of generations but even if I've lived in a cold country all my life I can catch a plane, go to a very hot country and survive. Ok, I'd take some precautions but that's what pet owners do. If they have a dog in a car then they leave windows open and make frequent checks. They let out the dogs for exercise and have water available for it. No problem.

CMR Electrical said...

Seems like a good device.