For immediate release:
20 August 2021
Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382
Goodletsville, Tennessee. “Police recently rescued a dog and a baby left in a hot car in Goodlettsville, and similar reports are coming in at an uncontrollable rate across the country. Some dogs, including K-9, who have recently died after being left in a patrol car, receive help too late. This year, 29 dead dogs were recorded from heat-related causes… (The numbers are likely much higher, as most heat-related pet deaths go unreported.)
The high temperatures this week put dogs at high risk of heat prostration and death, so PETA issues an urgent warning to anyone with a dog: Never leave them in vehicles, and be sure to do the following.
- Touch the sidewalk before walking to avoid scalding your dog’s paw pads.
- Watch out for long, twisted tongue and heavy breathing, as dogs cannot sweat like humans and heat builds up in their bodies.
- Walk only in the shade, on the ground or grass, and never leave the animals alone (on Memorial Day weekend, PETA field workers discovered the body of a dog that died after being left chained to the scorching sun).
PETA thanks police in Goodlettsville for taking action and urges everyone to support the Hot Cars Act 2021, which will require automakers to install technology in vehicles to detect the presence of an animal or child and alert drivers when someone is in the back seat.
Anyone who leaves animals in hot cars or on the street to get hurt in harsh weather can be prosecuted for the cruelty.
For more information please visit PETA.org…