In a new PETA video taking a break from racing on the fast lane, ground-breaking NASCAR racer Daniel Suarez rushes to stop a woman from making a potentially fatal mistake: tossing her dog in a car on a hot summer day.
“You probably don’t realize that your dog can die of heatstroke in the time it takes you to quickly pit stopSuarez says to the guardian. “Whatever business you do [run] not as important as your dog’s life, right? ” Spoiler alert: I agree, of course!
Already this year in the US, at least 31 dogs have died from fever-related causes, and these are just the reported cases. Almost certainly not…
The temperature inside a parked car can reach three-digit numbers in just a few minutes, and since dogs cannot sweat and mostly cool themselves by panting, they are at greater risk of heatstroke than humans.
What if you see a dog in a heated car?
PETA urges everyone who sees a dog in a parked car to act immediately: write down the color, make, model and license plate of the car and hurry up so that the nearest store or stores send the page to the owner. If you can’t find the owner, call 911, and if the authorities don’t answer, do whatever you can to save your life. PETA store offers window breaker emergency hammer to save life and death.
As Suarez says: “Be the champion of your dogs!”
When he’s not busy winning races or helping to keep canine companions safe, you may find Suarez is a champion for other animals as well. In June, he carefully moved the mouse, demonstrating that no animal is too small to deserve compassion.
Click below to learn more about how to become a champion dog with fever:
Help keep dogs safe in warm weather