“Be right back.” Those words mean very little for animals trapped in hot cars. NBA star Lonnie Walker learns this firsthand when his dog Zola stops for a quick “shopping trip,” leaving the 6-foot, 5-inch athlete trapped in a hot car.
Can Walker survive the heat? Watch below to find out:
“Every year, dogs suffer and die when they’re left in parked cars on warm days. Heatstrokes can occur quickly, even with the windows partially rolled down. On a 78-degree day, temperatures in a parked car can rapidly increase to 100 degrees,” Walker says in the video.
Walker joins a list of compassionate celebrities who have teamed up with PETA to spread the word about the danger of hot cars, including actor Mckenna Grace, Italian supermodel Elisabetta Canalis, and NFL player Tyrann Mathieu. And with close to 80 heat-related deaths since 2018 (that we know of), animal companions need all the help they can get to stay safe from the heat.
While humans have the benefit of being able to sweat through our skin, which helps us cool our body temperature, dogs can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads. Left vulnerable to the heat, dogs can sustain brain damage and even die in just minutes.
Be prepared. Follow these steps if you ever see a dog trapped in a hot car—you could save a life.
