[Catspaw]

And I was worried about leaving my dog in the car--parked in the shade with all the windows down about four inches-- for 10 minutes.

[rstevens]

Yeah me too. When I have my dog in the car with me on hot days, if I have to leave him even for a few minutes, I will leave the car running with the a/c on. Since I have an outside door control its no problem.

How anyone could leave a pet, to say nothing about a child, is just beyond me.

Since it can never be proven as premed murder, negligent homicide will probably be the charge, however second degree murder could fit.

[ihatemyalarmclock]

"And I was worried about leaving my dog in the car--parked in the shade with all the windows down about four inches-- for 10 minutes."

You're right to be concerned, as dogs will generally die before humans when confined in a hot car. Humans sweat: we're "water-cooled." Dogs pant: they're "air-cooled." Depriving a dog of adequate ventilation at high temperatures will fry the critter's brain.

Of course, the same thing can happen to people eventually (especially young children,) hence the tragic story that started this thread.