If you own a dog and a Tesla, life could not have been better for you.

Electric car maker Tesla released its 'Dog Mode' on Thursday so that your puppies can get a whiff of cool breeze and the passersby can know they have nothing to worry, and you'll be back in a jiffy after finishing your errands.

What is 'Dog Mode'?

The 'Dog Mode', if on, will leave the air conditioning of the car on and give the passersby this message: "My owner will be back soon...Don't worry! The AC is on and its 70° F" (or according to whatever temperature you set, of course.)

You can enable the 'Dog Mode' by simply tapping the fan icon at the bottom of the touchscreen when your car is parked. Change the climate to 'On to Dog', make adjustments within temperature limits and then leave knowing your pet will stay comfortable.

If the battery of your car reaches less than 20 percent charge, you will receive a notification on your mobile app. The feature will be updated in the car's v8 software.

Introducing Dog Mode: set a cabin temperature to keep your dog comfortable while letting passersby know they don't need to worry pic.twitter.com/xFU6MGZT53

— Tesla (@Tesla) February 14, 2019

To include the temperature was not part of the suggestion, until, of course, another Tesla owner suggested the same on Twitter and Musk couldn't help but agree.

Exactly

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2018

Why is it needed?

I know in India, not many passersby do anything about it. Usually, we Indians do not see many dogs enjoying the wind during the car ride or even in the car for that matter.

But in western countries, it's different. People generally take their dogs out in the car and passersby get worried or sometimes too worried. Do you remember this scene from The Office?

Yup, either that or the most painful and unpleasant one, the dog can die because of the heat.

In America, leaving pets inside a hot car is against the law in 16 states — California, Arizona and 14 others. Even though, there are no hard-and-fast legal laws of leaving a dog unattended in a hot vehicle, the owner or the offender can be charged with animal cruelty.

In India too, even though we don't see a lot of dogs in fellow-cars (sigh), a similar law stands. The law states: "Conveying or carrying animals whether in or upon any vehicle, in any manner or position which causes discomfort, pain or suffering is a punishable offence under two Central Acts. Section 11(1)(d) Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, (Transport of Animal) Rules, 2001 and Motor Vehicles Act 1978."

With Tesla covering all aspects and giving a fulfilling experience to its car owners, we as Indians, are waiting for its entry in India. The day's not far, Musk has already said that the company is looking for a 'partial presence' in the country! It's okay, we can make do with that. And as we know it, Musk is a man of his word.

Hopefully, partial presence in India, Africa & South America end of next year, with broader expansion in 2020

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2018

First Published:Feb 14, 2019 12:49 PM IST