On July 27th 2014 our Vice President Jim Chiapuzio rode to Black Hills Harley Davidson to get a new tire for his bike. Now picture this, it's a week before the rally starts but there are still hundreds of bikes and cars in the parking lot. Many large tents where vendors will soon be vending. When he heard an announcement over the loud speakers, "We have become aware of a dog locked in a car with the windows up. Please return to your vehicle and remove your dog!"
The man at the counter didn't know where the car was at and the lot was huge. He looked at Jim funny and said "why is it your dog?" "If it were my dog it wound't be locked in the car!" reply our vice president who was trying to find the vehicle so he could check on the pet. He then told them all how dangerous it is to leave a life in a car even if the windows were down. He told them how fast heat stroke kicks in and that the animal could die within minutes. Soon a gentlemen told him which lot it was in and off Jim went to go find the dog.
This lot had only 10 cars left in it by the time he got there. There had been a raffle going on and now that it was over the lot was mainly emptied. Jim check on the seats and on the floors and in the back of each of the vehicles. "What were you going to do?" one man asked. "I was going to take my jackets, that he had in hand, and put them over the windows to block the sun and call the police department back to tell them exactly where the car was." He was also carrying a fresh bottle of water he had purchased so the dog could be hydrated.
The car was gone and the police didn't have anything to find. Seems after the announcement some not so bright embarrassed person got in their car and left. I wish they would have meet Jim. He would have not assumed the person was an idiot first and would have probably given them such great advise on how to better protect their pet.
I love that he "got involved". That he took the time away from whatever the thought was important at that time to take care of something that truly was. It is not everyone who becomes active in a situation, though of course you would find that person as part of the Emma Zen Foundation!