Five alternatives to leaving your dog in the car while running errands

We&rsquo-ve seen too many articles popping up lately that involve owners neglecting their dogs by leaving them in their cars. Fact of the matter is you should never be doing this in the first place. Even so, owners still do this and even the ones who did it &ldquo-innocently&rdquo- are just as guilty of animal cruelty as anyone else. Leaving your dog in the car is one of the worst things you can do (especially if it&rsquo-s hot). If you need to run errands, rather than leaving your dog in the car try one of these five alternatives.

Using Drive Thru – in today&rsquo-s world you can do most of your errands using drive thru. That includes things like dry cleaning, banking, and every grocery stores allow you to schedule pick ups. Get used to using drive thru if you have a dog and have to run out all the time.

Bring a Friend – If you have a friend that can play with them outside while you are running errands then take advantage!

Pet Friendly Stores – do your research and know what stores in your area allow pets and which one&rsquo-s do not. We&rsquo-ll bet you can find at least ten that meet most of your errand needs.

Outdoor eating – if you need to take a break on your errands and stop at a restaurant, try one that&rsquo-s outdoors. If it&rsquo-s winter then maybe you shouldn&rsquo-t be going out as often anyway.

Don&rsquo-t bring your dog – if you have a dog that can stay home alone then sometimes it&rsquo-s best to leave them be in your home. As long as your errands aren&rsquo-t too long and your dog is well trained, alone time isn&rsquo-t the worst thing in the world for your dog.