Just in time for the first summer heat waves, Laura Bell Bundy and her adopted dog, Norma Jean, are starring in a new PETA ad and PSA, warning people about the danger of leaving their dogs alone in a car in warm weather.

In an exclusive interview with PETA, the multitalented country singer, TV and Broadway star, and "Cooter County" denizen talked about why she feels that getting the word out about this issue is so important. "[P]eople need to know about it," she explained. "They leave their dog alone in the car unintentionally thinking it's OK if they go inside the grocery store for five minutes, but … it's a hot car, and you wouldn't want to be left alone in there, either."
 

Laura Bell Bundy unveils her new PETA "Keep Your Dog Cool" PSA

 
Even on a mild day, the temperature inside a car parked in the shade can top 100 degrees in a few minutes. A dog left inside is at risk for heatstroke, which can cause brain damage or even death in just 15 minutes.

If you see a dog left alone in a hot car, please contact your local animal control or police department immediately, and do not leave until help arrives. PETA has "hot dog" leaflets available that can be placed on cars to remind people that dogs and hot cars shouldn't mix.

 
Written by Michelle Sherrow

For years, the PETA Files has been telling you how eating vegan is all the rage. But now, the clever folks at Google Labs have given us the tool to prove it. Their new Books Ngram Viewer allows visitors to see and compare, in graph form, trends in word usage over time, based on a database of books (here's a more thorough explanation of how it all works). And the food editor at Good has noticed that mentions of the word "tofu" have far surpassed those of "hot dog."

So if you know someone who still hasn't gone vegan, you now have graphic proof that all the cool kids are doing it! Then make sure they won't be left behind by sending them here.

Written by Jeff Mackey

There's a story that's getting a lot of play in Canada right now about a humane society inspector named Tre Smith who has been suspended following what, based on all the facts I've been able to put together on this one, was nothing less than a heroic effort to save a dog's life in extreme circumstances.

Apparently, Smith responded to a call about a Rottweiler named Cyrus who was locked in an overheated car. Given that animals locked inside cars in the summer can die of heatstroke within 15 minutes, even on a relatively mild day, this was obviously a serious situation, and Cyrus was evidently slumped over and foaming at the mouth by the time the humane officer arrived. Smith reports that he smashed the car window to pull Cyrus out, and handcuffed the owner to the car so that he could rush the animal to the hospital rather than waiting for the police to arrive. He later told reporters:

The story gets a bit murky after that—apparently, the dog owner's neighbors were so enraged by his actions that someone took a swing at him, and the cops arrived to find the dude handcuffed to a car with his face bleeding. Which, well, nobody likes getting sucker punched, but nobody likes it when people leave their dogs to die either.

Based on everything I've heard so far, it sounds like Smith should be given a medal rather than being suspended. You can read more about the story here, and you can click here for some more info about why you should absolutely never, under any circumstances or for any amount of time, leave your dog alone in a parked car. Also, here's a picture of some happy dogs cooling off in a paddling pool.