Outagamie County Highway Department Receives PETA Award for Saving 12 Cats From Hot Van

For Immediate Release:
June 10, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

A Compassionate Action Award is on its way from PETA to the Outagamie County Highway Department for rescuing 12 cats who were trapped in an abandoned van late last month on a 90-degree day. When four highway workers spotted the vehicle off I-41 at County Highway N in Little Chute, they immediately opened it, alerted authorities, and transported the cats to a local shelter. Many have since been adopted.

PETA has also sent the department some of its compact window-breaking hammers to help out with future life-threatening emergencies—they are available for purchase here. 

“Animals left alone in parked cars are in danger every minute they are trapped in the heat, but these cats are now safe and recovering thanks to the quick thinking and compassionate action of the Outagamie County Highway Department,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA encourages everyone to be a hero for animals by always keeping an eye out and taking immediate action when they see an animal trapped in a hot car.”

On a 70-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 99 degrees in 20 minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in just 10 minutes. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes. Beating the heat is extra tough for dogs and cats because they can cool themselves only by panting.

Anyone who sees an animal alone in a parked car should never leave the scene. Call 911. Then write down the vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate number and rush to have nearby stores page the owner. If authorities are unresponsive or too slow and the animal’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness and take the necessary steps to remove them from the car, including by employing PETA’s emergency window-breaking hammer.

PETA is sending a framed certificate and the emergency hammers to the Outagamie County Highway Department, along with delicious vegan chocolates.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.