For immediate release:
July 8, 2021
Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382
Toledo, Ohio – A one-year-old child accidentally left in a car was recently rescued by Toledo police, and similar reports of dogs left in hot cars roll around uncontrollably across the country. For some, including K-9, who recently died in a patrol car, help comes too late. Already this year, the death of 20 dogs 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 the Toledo police and other rescuers for their actions and calls on 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.
For more information please visit PETA.org or subscribe to the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram…