Did heat stroke cause your lapses in judgment?

Granted, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued an "excessive heat warning" after this weekend's record-busting temperatures (95 degrees yesterday, 98 degrees today). Maybe the heat fried your brains.

Or maybe you lack common sense.

Let's begin the What What The Hell Were You Thinking Weekend with an incident that took place around 10 am Saturday in an alley between 33rd and 34th Avenues off South McClellan Street. We saw you and your spouse enter the alley with two unleashed dogs. The smaller of the two romped freely on the street; he was uncontrolled and unrestrained. When I gasped with visible shock, you condescendingly asked something stupid like "Are you terrified?"

Yes, lady, I am terrified... that your dog will run into South McClellan Street -- an arterial upon which the No. 14 travels. South McClellan Street was busier than usual yesterday with people traveling to Genesee Park to unload their bicycles for the Danskin's triathlon and shoppers cruising the during the Mount Baker community sale. And amazed that your husband tethered one dog, and permitted the more adventurous of the two roam without a leash.

People, what the hell were you thinking?

Maybe it didn't occur to you that shoppers trolling the area probably paid more attention consulting their maps then they were on the look out for a dog whose owners thought going off-leash commando represented their libertarian values. According to 9.25.084 (A), Offenses Related to Animal Control, the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC), it is unlawful to "permit any animal, except cats and pigeons, to be at large, or trespass upon the party of another."

Your dogs shouldn't have to conform to your declarations of independence against controlling your dogs. Leash your pooches.

Next, during What the Hell Were You Thinking Weekend takes notice of unknown chucklehead(s) who tethered his or her sweet-looking, mixed-breed dog to the disabled parking sign in front of the Rainier Valley Rite Aid around 10:45 am. You left your dog without water in an unshaded spot with an eastern exposure in 88-degree weather (93 degrees "real feel").

What the hell were you thinking?

Seattle Municipal Code 9.25.081(F) says it is unlawful to "tether or confine any animal or in such a place as to cause injury or pain not amounting to first degree animal cruelty defined in RCW 16.52.025, or to endanger the animal." This means you.

Heat stroke as a defense carries little weight to the law... and doesn't help a dog afflicted with illness, injury, or death because of your careless, negligence or recklessness.

The National Weather Service's "excessive heat warning" remains in effect in the Puget Sound area until 10 pm Monday, August 16.