After Death of Child, PETA Offer Tips for Safeguarding All Lives in Hot Weather

Group Warns Against Leaving Kids, Animal Companions Alone in Heat 

For Immediate Release:
July 15, 2010

Contact:
Robbyn Brooks 757-622-7382

Albuquerque, N.M. -- Following news reports that a 2-year-old died after her mother left her locked for more than two hours in a car that had an interior temperature of 135 degrees, PETA shares the following lifesaving information.

No one--including kids, cats, dogs, or any other living being--should ever be left alone in a car. In just 10 minutes, the temperature inside a car can spike 19 degrees, and it can go up 29 degrees in 20 minutes. So on a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a car can climb to 97 degrees in just 10 minutes.

"This incident should be taken as a warning that the most vulnerable beings among us--children and animals--need and deserve our protection," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "A lifesaving rule of thumb is never to leave a child or animal in a parked car, especially on hot--or even just warm--days. Always leave dogs and cats at home during a heat wave."

PETA receives reports every year about animals who suffer horrifying deaths during the spring and summer months and makes the following suggestions for safeguarding animals:

*  Keep dogs inside: Unlike humans, dogs can only sweat through their footpads and cool themselves by panting. Soaring temperatures can cause heat stress and be physically damaging or fatal.

*  Water and shade: If animals must be left outside, they should be supplied with ample water and shade, and the shifting sun needs to be taken into account. Even brief periods of direct exposure to the sun while you're at work can have life-threatening consequences.

*  Walk, don't run: In very hot, humid weather, never exercise dogs by cycling while they try to keep up or by running them while you jog. Dogs will collapse before giving up, at which point it may be too late to save them.

*  Avoid parked cars: Never leave an animal in a parked car in warm weather, even for short periods with the windows slightly open. Dogs trapped inside parked cars can succumb to heatstroke within minutes--even if the car isn't parked in direct sunlight.

*  Pickups: Never transport animals in the bed of a pickup truck. This practice is dangerous--and illegal in many cities and states--because animals can catapult out of the truck bed on a sudden stop or choke if they jump out while they're tied up.

*  Stay alert and save a life: Keep an eye on all outdoor animals. Make sure that they have adequate water and shelter. If you see an animal in distress, contact humane authorities right away and give the animal immediate relief by providing water.

PETA's warm-weather public service announcement featuring Simon Cowell is available to link to or download here. Or for Print: PETA's warm-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here. Or for Radio: PETA's warm-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here. For even more tips, visit PETA.org.