Okay, I know I sound like a broken record but until I no longer have to run across a headline like this, I won't keep my mouth shut.
I read this morning that Jeremy Renner, a talented actor, lost his 8 month old French bulldog puppy to what sounds like heat stroke. My condolences to Mr. Renner on his loss. Apparently Jeremy Renner had a friend watching his bulldog puppy and there is no easy way to say this but it sounds like better decisions could have been made. First, a very young dog (8 months) is brought out to a field at what is arguably the hottest point in the day. Second, he was a French Bulldog. Smoosh faced dogs are notorious for overheating - it's simply way too difficult for them to cool down because physically, they are simply not built to withstand the heat.
I totally understand that people want to share their lives and activities with their four leggeg family members. I absolutely, totally get it. We want to take Bishop and Big Tuna with us everyone but their health trumps what we want. They are Bulldogs. They would suffer heat stroke in approximately 15 to 20 minutes of being in the heat in south florida and die shortly thereafter. Some of you make think that is an exaggeration. I can tell you that it is not. So their exposure to the elements is very limited.
What pains me most about Jeremy Renners situation (and hell, almost all others) is that it is totally avoidable.
I know how painful it is to lose a member of the family. I've lost four legged friends to renal disease and cancer. I is devastating. But these are things that can't be controlled. Exposure to the heat can be. And that makes it worse. You can read the article here:http://www.eonline.com/news/jeremy_renner_mourns_death_of_his/301619
I also found something in the coverage that bothered me. It sounded like the person responsible for watching the puppy actually left the puppy (presumably with someone else) to get a snack. This strikes me as a bit disturbing. The equivalent would be a baby sitter for a human leaving the baby with someone else while they went off to do something. If I'm having someone watch my dog, the damn well better watch the dog. I'm trusting them with a life that is dear to me.
To reiterate, puppies do not belong out in the heat. If you must have your dog outside and it's hot, you must have water and shelter. And access to a pool or pond. You simply must. One bit of advice. If you choose someone to watch your dogs, make sure they know what they're doing. Either they should be a trained dog sitter, vet tech or someone well grounded in basic safety knowledge.
This is utterly heartbreaking and a very, very painful lesson.
Keep your dogs safe,
Monique
No comments:
Post a Comment