Monica Weymouth
From massaging seats to automatic brakes to smart TVs, luxury cars are equipped with plenty of amenities to keep owners safe, comfortable and entertained.
Now, Tesla is offering a feature to help four-legged passengers enjoy the same experience.
After much anticipation, the electric car company's "Dog Mode" has made its official debut.
Dog Mode provides climate control and music while the vehicle is parked, allowing pet parents to leave their animals in the car for short periods of time. The car's central display screen assures passersby that pups are safe and comfortable.
For those without such a feature, it’s crucial to never leave your pet in a parked car—even during the cooler months.
“We all know that it is highly dangerous to leave pets in cars during hot or even warm weather,” says Dr. Lauren Jones, a veterinarian based in the Philadelphia area. “However, cold weather also poses its own dangers. The temperature in cars can drop rapidly, turning your car from a cozy cocoon to a refrigerator that retains the cold.”
Despite their fur coats, pets should not spend significant time in the cold. When temperatures drop, the body centralizes the blood flow to vital organs, eventually slowing the heart rate as hypothermia sets in. Very young, very old or chronically ill pets are more susceptible to the effects of cold weather.
“Pets can freeze to death in the car, just as they can die from hyperthermia in hot weather,” says Jones. “So ultimately, pets should simply not be left alone in cars.”