First of all, let me start by saying that by nature, dogs are social animals. Leaving a dog alone for more than eight hours is cruel. Here’s a very upsetting story about a little dog left in a hot apartment while the owner went away with friends for several days. I had lunch with a very good friend who informed me that she would be walking another friends dog for a few days. We discussed the issues about leaving a dog alone and continued enjoying our lunch. The next day, I received a call from my friend telling me that when she went to the apartment to walk the dog, it was unbearably hot and humid. My friend told be that she was dripping with sweat after just a few minutes! There was that little dog, all alone in the hot apartment. I was enraged!!  First of all from a medical standpoint, dogs are very susceptible to the heat. Dog cannot cool their bodies down by sweating. They can quickly fall prey to heat stroke and death!  Dogs also needs lots of water and unlike cats, they tend to drink very quickly and that dog water bowl will quickly become empty. Finally that poor little dog was all alone with no one to care for his needs! The bottom line here is that your dog is part of your family. If you cannot find someone to take the dog or to stay at your apartment while you’re away — DON’T GO! This is cruel and selfish!   People who put themselves before the welfare of their pets have no right to have any animals!