The Heats Here Watch Your Children and Pets In Cars

As summer heats up in the Whitsunday region, so do your cars.
Leaving children or pets in the car, even for a quick errand, may seem harmless, but it can have serious, potentially life-threatening consequences.
Recently, Whitsunday community members have raised concerns on social media after spotting individuals leaving children or animals unattended in vehicles locally.
One Facebook post on the Whitsunday Chat group captured the growing frustration:
“Nothing is so urgent that you need to pay bills, buy food, or do chores to put your kids and pets at risk of heat exhaustion, dehydration, and even death.”
The Raising Children Network strongly advises against leaving a child in a car under any circumstances:
“Never leave your child unattended in the car, even for a moment. If you need to leave your car, always take your child with you.
Heat is the main risk for children left in vehicles.
Children can suffer from life-threatening heatstroke, rapid dehydration, suffocation, and even death.
Similarly, while it’s not yet illegal to leave dogs in cars, the risks are equally alarming. As temperatures inside vehicles rise, dogs can quickly become dehydrated, experience blood thickening, and suffer brain damage, organ failure, or even death.
Heatstroke can take hold in as little as six minutes, making it vital for pet owners to never leave animals in cars, even for short periods.
Leaving children or pets unattended in a car, regardless of the situation, is never worth the risk.

‍