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Blog Tesla Owner Cleared of Criminal Charges After Explaining ‘Dog Mode’

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A Tesla owner in Ireland, Ross Hunt, was cleared of breaking animal welfare laws after a judge accepted that the owner’s beloved poodle was actually safe inside the climate-controlled electric vehicle.

A concerned passer-by saw the poodle, Loki, sitting inside the Tesla Model S on a hot day and called authorities, which resulted in a charge for Hunt under the Animal, Health and Welfare Act. He pleaded not-guilty.

Hunt said he explained to a Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) inspector that the car maintained a safe temperature when the car was parked. He even showed the inspector his phone with the Tesla app displaying the car’s inside temperature.

“He had also thought they were going to break one of the windows as he came running to them,” according to a report from Irish Independent.

The trial even included an expert witness from Tesla to confirm the car was fitted with a system to keep the dog cool, even when the car was parked and locked.  

“Dismissing the charges, Judge John Brennan said he accepted Mr Hunt’s evidence and said it was quite clear he was very loving, responsible and caring dog owner,” according to the Independent.

The news comes a week after TMC member James Morrison was surprised to step into a parking lot in Burlington, Ontario and find police surrounding his Model 3. Similarly, a concerned citizen had reported that Morrison had left his dog Amber in a hot car with the windows up.

Fortunately, police accepted Morrison’s explanation.

“The police officers were very nice,” Morrison said. “We showed them the dog mode and they asked to feel the temperature inside. They took photos of the sign, I expect to educate their peers.”

Photo: Not Hunt’s actual poodle

 
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Curious, when driving, does your animals ride with seat belts on to keep them safe in the chance of an accident (and you and your passengers from flying “objects”)?

We actually found a dog-seat that is padded and held in place by rear seat seat belt. It has a leash like clip on a strap coming from the back to attach to our puppy. Only use it when she’s wearing a chest harness so it wouldn’t choke her. Not as good as a full child seat, but an improvement over nothing at all.
 
Curious, when driving, does your animals ride with seat belts on to keep them safe in the chance of an accident (and you and your passengers from flying “objects”)?

Thank you for bringing this up. You make a great point. It is something I worry about. But it is not as simple a question as it appears.

In theory, humans safer in seat belts = dogs safer in seat belts. In actuality it's not always the case. I looked into dog car harnesses a few years ago and wasn't impressed by there efficacy.

Are Dog Seat Belts a Waste of Money or Lifesavers | petMD
Episode Rewind: Exploring Products Certified by the Center for Pet Safety (CPS) | Pet Lover Geek
Welcome to the Science of Pet Safety!

I may revisit now that we are on the road more.
 
A Tesla owner in Ireland, Ross Hunt, was cleared of breaking animal welfare laws after a judge accepted that the owner’s beloved poodle was actually safe inside the climate-controlled electric vehicle. A concerned passer-by saw the poodle, Loki, sitting inside the Tesla Model S on a hot day and called authorities, which resulted in a charge...
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With the new law in the US that says electric cars must have sound at speeds below 20mph, Tesla has introduced a speaker on the bottom front of the car. This speaker can be easily used to tell passerbys that the animal in the car is safe... temperature set at 72°. Hence, the visual on the car's screen will have a supplemental audio support.... And this is especially good if you have tinted windows....
 
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Has anyone dared use dog mode while leaving the wife in the car?
Not the wife, but the (adult) daughter. We all get a kick out of what's displayed on the screen! She's never been approached by anyone outside the car demanding to confirm that she's not being abused. BTW, you can just leave climate control "on" rather than in Dog Mode if you're leaving groceries, etc., in a cooled vehicle. But it's not as much fun, and doesn't contribute to the possible education of a passer-by who catches sight of the screen.
 
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Here’s the sign I created last year when I took my dog on a road trip to California. I affixed one of these to the inside of each rear window.

This was pre-Dog Mode but of course I left the climate control running whenever my dog was alone in the car. We were never far away and never left him alone for long periods of time, but still...
 
Valid point, however there's nothing preventing people today from placing any sign they want on any vehicle. I personally don't like the idea of leaving a pet in my locked Tesla, even though we have Dog Mode. But if I ever had a situation where that had to occur, I would place additional signs on my windows. I've used Dog Mode when I wanted to keep groceries cold and I didn't want the A/C to turn off, so that was neat.
 
Curious, when driving, does your animals ride with seat belts on to keep them safe in the chance of an accident (and you and your passengers from flying “objects”)?
We have our small toy Poodle in a full harness, and it is tied into the shoulder belts of the grandkids car-seat belts. The dog rides in the Kids seats as she clearly likes the better view out the rear window, even more than on my wife lap. Have not had both the grandkids and the dog riding at the same time - yet...but will probably put the dog in the third row of the Model X when that comes to pass.

Also have a 5x6 card signs I put in the driver and passenger window with explanation, phone number, and notice to look at the front display for the temperature. I think more people are likely to see a card in the window at first than a dashboard display they have never seen before. Better safe than window shopping- couple of cards are cheap insurance IMHO.