Krysten Ritter’s PETA Billboard Aims to Protect Athens’ Dogs

After Pup Narrowly Escapes Heatstroke-Related Death, Actor Urges Everyone to Make Sure Animals Aren’t Left in Hot Cars

For Immediate Release:
July 22, 2014

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Just last month, Athens police intervened to save a dog who was suffering from heat exhaustion after being locked in a car in a Walmart parking lot—and Veronica Mars and Don’t Trust the B—-in Apartment 23 star Krysten Ritter is anxious to prevent more dangerous incidents like this one. That’s why PETA is putting up a new billboard in Athens that shows Ritter standing next to a car with a busted window, clutching her rescued pup, Mikey, in one hand and a crowbar in the other—as her shadowed silhouette reveals a pair of angel wings—next to the words “Do Whatever It Takes. Be an Angel for Animals.”

PETA’s billboard has been installed behind the Johnson Drive Baptist Church, located at 145 Johnson Dr., at the corner of Lexington Road.

“I think it’s something that people don’t think about,” Ritter explained in an exclusive PETA interview. “It’s hot outside—your car is like a fishbowl. So the light comes in, and it gets trapped, and it gets really hot in there really quickly.” She continues, “If you see a dog in a hot car and you think that he’s in danger or that he’s been there for a while, it’s good to speak up .… Go into whatever businesses it’s parked outside of, and just raise awareness about it.”

In her interview, Ritter also points out that if dog guardians are running errands and can’t take their canine companions into the shops with them, they should leave them at home, where they will be safe—because even on a relatively mild summer day, the temperature inside a shaded car can climb to more than 100 degrees in a matter of minutes.

Ritter is part of a long list of celebrities—including her Vamps costar Alicia Silverstone as well as Lea Michele, Paul McCartney, Charlize Theron, and Eva Mendes—who have teamed up with PETA to promote animal protection.

Broadcast-quality footage of Ritter’s video interview can be downloaded hereand previewed here. For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.