‘This Dog Died of Heatstroke’: PETA Ad Blitz Offers Grim Reminder of Extreme Heat Dangers for Dogs in North Carolina

For Immediate Release:
August 11, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

As high temps and humidity continue across the East Coast, PETA has placed graphic warnings—some featuring a photo of a chained dog who died from heatstroke—at gas stations throughout the area. The explicit appeals aim to warn the public about the dangers of keeping dogs chained outside, where they can quickly succumb to heatstroke and are at serious risk of flystrike—a painful condition caused by biting flies who relentlessly gnaw at dogs’ ears, resulting in open, bloody wounds.

Every day, PETA fieldworkers find dogs without access to shade, often tangled in tethers, with no water or with filthy bowls contaminated with algae, mosquito larvae, or even the remains of wild animals. It is not unusual for the team to find dishes crawling with maggots and reeking of rot. These conditions are not only inhumane but also life-threatening, especially during extreme heat. PETA notes that in North Carolina, it’s illegal to leave a dog outside without access to shelter, shade, and potable water.

“Dogs tethered and penned outside are in crisis, suffering in the heat, often without shade or water, and many panic and convulse in agony as their body temperatures soar and their organs shut down,” says PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA urges everyone to keep animals safe and indoors, and if they see an animal chained or penned in extreme temperatures, report it to local authorities immediately, and alert PETA if they do not respond.”

This year alone, at least 90 dogs and cats have reportedly died from heat-related causes, while another 329 have needed to be rescued from the heat—and the real figures are likely far higher, as most events go unreported. PETA reminds the public that if they’re hot, dogs and cats—who can’t sweat as humans do—are even hotter.

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.