60 Companion Animals Endured Heat-Related Deaths in 2021—That We Know Of

The number of dogs and other companion animals who reportedly died from heat-related causes in 2021:

60

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Every year, PETA receives reports about dogs, cats, and other animals who have died after being left in hot cars or outside during the hot weather. In 2021 alone, sixty animals endured heat–related deaths and another 145 were rescued from the heat—and those are just the ones that were reported. Most almost certainly aren’t.

YearDeathsDeathsRescuesRescues
2024111See the list.388See the list.
2023163See the list.855See the list.
202258See the list.490See the list.
202160See the list.145See the list.
202032See the list.50See the list.
201953See the list.125See the list.
201860See the list.93See the list.

The following list is a compilation of heat-related deaths of companion animals reported in 2021:

DateLocationNumber of Dogs or Other Animals Who DiedNotes
9/13/2021Allenwood, Pennsylvania1One dog died and two were rescued after being left inside a hot car for several hours.
8/30/2021Covington, Georgia1A K-9 named Tom-Tom died after being left inside a 102.8-degree patrol vehicle with faulty air-conditioning equipment.
8/28/2021Shenandoah County, Virginia1A K-9 died of complications from heat exhaustion after helping his handler search for a suspect in a hit-and-run.
8/25/2021Wood River, Illinois1A man was jailed and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals after allegedly leaving his dog inside a parked car for three hours, ending in the dog’s death.
8/21/2021North Olmsted, Ohio1Two people were arrested on cruelty-to-animals charges after allegedly placing five kittens in a plastic tote and leaving it inside a hot car, leading to the death of one of the kittens.
8/21/2021Corpus Christi, Texas11After 14 dogs were left in the back of a U-Haul truck on a 97-degree day, nine of them were found dead and two had to be euthanized. The other three dogs survived.
8/20/2021Livingston Parish, Louisiana1A K-9 died of heat exhaustion after being left inside a hot patrol vehicle.
8/17/2021Cedar Rapids, Iowa1A man was arrested after allegedly leaving his dog outside in the heat without access to water or shade, leading to the animal’s death.
8/10/2021East Haven, Connecticut1A dog died after being left in a hot car overnight. The owner was being charged.
8/7/2021Sandusky, Ohio1A dog died after being locked inside a hot car as a form of punishment by his owner.
8/3/2021Hamilton County, Ohio1A dog died after being left in a hot car.
8/2/2021Arlington, Texas1A dog died from the heat on a 106-degree day while at a boarding facility.
8/2/2021Palo Alto, California7Seven puppies died after being transported in a hot van without air conditioning or water.
7/22/2021Las Vegas, Nevada1A woman was arrested after allegedly leaving three dogs inside a hot car while she shopped at Walmart. One of the dogs had to be euthanized as a result.
7/17/2021Dallas, Texas1One sheep died and four others were rescued after being confined to the trunk of a hot car.
7/13/2021Nashville, Tennessee1One dog died and another was rescued after being left inside a hot car on an 82-degree day.
7/8/2021Pensacola, Florida1A dog died of heatstroke after being left inside a hot car for more than an hour.
7/7/2021Gilbert, Arizona2Five kittens were abandoned in boxes in extreme heat outside an animal shelter. Two of them died.
7/4/2021Valencia, California2Two dogs died after being left inside a car outside Six Flags Magic Mountain on a 90-degree day.
6/23/2021Sevierville, Tennessee1Two monkeys were left inside a hot car outside a water park. One monkey died, and the other was treated for heat distress.
6/23/2021Cocoa, Florida1​​A K-9 officer died after being left in the back of a patrol car on an 86-degree day.
6/20/2021Las Vegas, Nevada2Two dogs died after being confined to a garage on a 111-degree day.
6/18/2021Riverside County, California1A dog was euthanized after being found thrashing on the side of a road in 116-degree weather.
6/10/2021Parma, Ohio1A dog died after being left inside a hot car overnight.
6/10/2021Chicago, Illinois1A dog died after being left inside a transport vehicle on a 90-degree day while under the care of a kennel facility.
6/9/2021Clearwater, Florida2Two dogs died after being left inside a hot car following a fire at a veterinary clinic.
6/8/2021Gaylord, Minnesota1A dog died after being chained outside in extreme heat with no food, water, or shelter.
6/6/2021Odessa, Texas1A dog died after being left inside a hot car on a 90-degree day.
6/4/2021Las Vegas, Nevada1A dog died outside a home because of extreme heat. The high reached a record-tying 109 degrees.
6/2/2021Minneapolis, Minnesota3Three dogs died of heatstroke after being left “outside of residences.”
June 2021Treasure Valley area of Idaho4At least four dogs died after being left inside hot cars in June.
June 2021Omaha, Nebraska2Two dogs have died so far this summer from heat-related conditions.
5/31/2021Niagara Falls, New York1A dog died after being left inside a hot car.
5/13/2021Forsyth, Georgia1A K9 officer died after being left inside a hot car overnight.

The following list is a compilation of heat-related rescues of companion animals reported in 2021:

DateLocationNumber of Dogs or Other Animals RescuedNotes
12/19/2021West Melbourne, Florida2A police officer rescued two dogs who were locked inside a hot car in a Walmart parking lot.
9/18/2021West Paradise, Nova Scotia, Canada2A woman was charged after allegedly leaving two dogs inside a hot car while golfing when the temperature outside was 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).
9/13/2021Allenwood, Pennsylvania2One dog died and two were rescued after being left inside a hot car for several hours.
9/13/2021St. Louis, Missouri2Firefighters rescued two dogs who were bound with duct tape inside a hot car in a Planet Fitness parking lot.
9/12/2021Santa Clarita, California1Sheriff’s deputies rescued a dog who had been locked inside a hot pickup truck.
8/28/2021Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada1A man was charged after police broke into his vehicle, which was parked outside a shopping center, to rescue a dog in distress.
8/25/2021Myrtle Beach, South Carolina2A woman was cited after leaving two dogs inside a 107-degree car in a Best Buy parking lot.
8/21/2021Akron, Ohio1Police officers rescued a dog who was in distress after being left inside a hot vehicle for at least 25 minutes.
8/21/2021North Olmsted, Ohio4Two people were arrested on cruelty-to-animals charges after allegedly placing five kittens in a plastic tote and leaving it inside a hot car, leading to the death of one of the kittens.
8/21/2021Corpus Christi, Texas3After 14 dogs were left in the back of a U-Haul truck on a 97-degree day, nine of them were found dead and two had to be euthanized. The other three dogs survived.
8/21/2021Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada1A man was cited after leaving his dog inside a hot car.
8/18/2021Cocoa, Florida10A man and woman were facing cruelty-to-animals charges after allegedly leaving two dogs and eight cats inside a hot van.
8/17/2021Goodlettsville, Tennessee1A man was arrested after allegedly leaving a dog and a baby in a minivan outside a Kroger grocery store.
8/16/2021Milford, Connecticut1A man was arrested after allegedly leaving his dog inside a hot car in a Walmart parking lot.
8/12/2021Melbourne, Florida1A puppy had to be rescued after being left in a hot car outside a mall.
8/12/2021Hingham, Massachusetts1A dog was rescued from a hot car during scorching heat after being forgotten by the owners. The animal was transported for emergency veterinary treatment in serious condition.
8/9/2021Orlando, Florida1A dog had to be rescued after being left inside a hot car outside Walt Disney World.
8/9/2021Greenfield, Massachusetts1After waiting 42 minutes for a dog’s owner to return to the hot car the animal was in outside a grocery store, a woman opened the door and gave the dog water. When the owners arrived, they were belligerent.
8/6/2021Miramar, Florida1A puppy had to be rescued by firefighters and police after being left inside a hot car outside a nail salon.
8/3/2021Idaho Falls, Idaho1A woman was charged with cruelty to animals after allegedly leaving a dog in a hot car outside a shopping mall. The animal’s temperature had risen to over 103 degrees.
7/30/2021Atlanta, Georgia1Firefighters rescued a dog who had been locked inside a hot car.
7/29/2021Brunswick, Ohio1A dog was rescued after being left inside a hot car on an 86-degree day.
7/29/2021Tucson, Arizona2Two dogs were rescued from hot cars in a Costco parking lot.
7/26/2021Aurora, Illinois1A dog was rescued after being left inside a hot car for nearly an hour outside a shopping mall.
7/23/2021Mobile, Alabama1Police officers rescued a dog who had been left inside a hot car in a Walmart parking lot.
7/22/2021Las Vegas, Nevada2A woman was arrested after allegedly leaving three dogs inside a hot car while she shopped at Walmart. One of the dogs had to be euthanized as a result.
7/20/2021Middlesboro, Kentucky1A dog was rescued after being left inside a hot car in a Walmart parking lot on an 89-degree day.
7/17/2021Des Moines, Iowa4Four dogs were rescued from hot cars in one weekend.
7/17/2021Myrtle Beach, South Carolina2Two puppies were rescued from a hot car on an 88-degree day.
7/17/2021Dallas, Texas4One sheep died and four others were rescued after being confined to the trunk of a hot car.
7/15/2021Chester, New Jersey1A woman was charged after allegedly leaving her dog inside a hot car in a HomeGoods parking lot.
7/15/2021Solon, Ohio1A dog was rescued after being left inside a hot car in a Hobby Lobby parking lot.
7/14/2021Los Angeles, California1Firefighters rescued a dog who was left inside a hot car on an 84-degree day.
7/14/2021Jamestown, New York1A woman was charged after allegedly leaving her dog inside a hot car.
7/13/2021Springfield, Missouri1Police officers rescued a dog who had been left inside a hot car after his guardian was fatally shot nearby.
7/13/2021Palm Bay, Florida2Two women were arrested and charged after allegedly leaving two dogs inside a 96-degree car for more than two hours.
7/13/2021Nashville, Tennessee1One dog died and another was rescued after being left inside a hot car on an 82-degree day.
7/12/2021Clovis, California4Four dogs were rescued from hot cars in one week.
7/11/2021San Juan Island, Washington1Police officers rescued a dog from a hot car on a 63-degree day.
7/10/2021Las Vegas, Nevada1Police officers rescued a dog who was left inside a hot car for more than five hours.
7/10/2021Pasadena, California2Firefighters rescued two cats who were left inside a hot car on a 97-degree day.
7/9/2021Las Vegas, Nevada2Two dogs were rescued from a 115-degree car.
7/7/2021Gilbert, Arizona3Five kittens were abandoned in boxes in extreme heat outside an animal shelter. Two of them died.
7/7/2021Brookville, Pennsylvania1Police officers rescued a dog from a hot car on an 88-degree day.
7/7/2021Clovis, California1A dog was rescued from a 120-degree car.
7/5/2021Los Angeles, California1A good Samaritan rescued a dog from a hot car on a 100-degree day.
7/5/2021Lynchburg, Virginia1​​A dog was rescued after being left inside a car on a 90-degree day.
7/4/2021Winthrop, Massachusetts3Between June 27 and July 4, police officers rescued three dogs from hot cars.
Summer 2021Los Angeles, California1A veterinarian treated a dog suffering from heatstroke who had been running around in a backyard when it was 90 degrees outside.
7/1/2021Franklin Township, Ohio1A dog was rescued from a hot car on a 90-degree day.
6/30/2021Toronto, Ontario, Canada1A woman is facing charges after leaving her dog inside a car for almost three hours while the temperature outside was 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius).
6/29/2021Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania1A woman was charged with cruelty to animals after leaving her dog inside a hot car on a 96-degree day.
6/29/2021Edmonton, Alberta1Edmonton Fire Rescue Services rescued a dog from a hot car. The temperature inside the vehicle was reportedly 58 degrees Celsius (136 degrees Fahrenheit).
6/28/2021Duluth, Georgia1Police rescued a puppy who was left inside a hot car for almost an hour in a Walmart parking lot.
6/27/2021Stowe, Vermont1A dog was rescued from a hot car on an 88-degree day.
6/27/2021Oliver, British Columbia, Canada1​​ A dog was rescued from a hot car on a 43°C (109°F) day while the dog’s owner was swimming in a lake.
6/26/2021Cincinnati, Ohio2Two puppies were rescued after being left inside a hot car for almost an hour.
6/23/2021Sevierville, Tennessee1​​Two monkeys were left inside a hot car outside a water park. One monkey died, and the other was treated for heat distress.
6/23/2021Loveland, Colorado1​​Police rescued a Doberman pinscher puppy from inside a hot car parked outside Walmart after a good Samaritan called them. Temperature readings taken inside the car ranged from 114 to 140 degrees.
6/20/2021Royal Palm Beach, Florida1A dog was rescued by firefighters after being left inside a hot car.
6/20/2021Warr Acres, Oklahoma1A dog was abandoned outside an animal shelter on a 97-degree day without any way to escape the heat.
6/18/2021Nashville, Tennessee1Firefighters rescued a dog from a hot car on an 87-degree day.
6/9/2021Des Moines, Iowa2Two dogs were rescued from a 142-degree car.
6/5/2021Fall River, Nova Scotia, Canada1A dog was rescued from a hot car, and their owner was fined.
6/2/2021Las Vegas, Nevada1A pot-bellied pig was rescued after being left inside a dog cage outside a home in 107-degree weather.
6/2/2021Minneapolis, Minnesota9Nine dogs have been rescued from hot cars in Minneapolis since June 1.
5/26/2021Wadsworth, Ohio2A woman was issued a summons for cruelty to animals following a report that dogs had been left in a hot car.
5/26/2021Austintown, Ohio1A dog was hospitalized after being left inside a hot car on an 84-degree day.
5/26/2021Houston, Texas12Eleven puppies and their mother who had been abandoned in a park were rescued after suffering from heat exhaustion.
Week of 5/24/2021Branford, Connecticut3In one day, three different dogs were rescued from hot cars in separate incidents.
5/21/2021Athens, Georgia2Two dogs were rescued after being tied to a pole outside an animal shelter on an 85-degree day without water. One dog experienced heatstroke.
5/21/2021Nashville, Tennessee2Two dogs were rescued after being left inside cars in a Kroger parking lot.
5/20/2021Lodi, Ohio2Dogs were removed from a hot car after a resident filed a report.
5/19/2021Troy, Michigan1A dog was rescued after being left inside a hot car for about 90 minutes.
5/18/2021Cleveland, Ohio1A dog was rescued after being left inside a hot car for at least an hour on a 78-degree day.
5/16/2021Portsmouth, New Hampshire1A dog was rescued after being locked inside a hot car.
5/11/2021Sarasota, Florida1A dog was rescued after being locked inside a car in which the temperature had reached 115 degrees.
5/6/2021Houston, Texas1A pig died after being left inside a vehicle for over 24 hours.
4/25/2021Sarasota, Florida1A police officer rescued a dog from a hot car. The temperature inside the vehicle had risen to 111 degrees.
4/1/2021Palm Desert, California1Animal control officers rescued a dog who was trapped inside a hot car.

No animal should endure a heat-related death. It’s inexcusable.

URGENT: Dogs trapped inside hot cars can DIE 🚫☀️🚙🐕If you spot a dog who needs help, here's what you can do: http://peta.vg/28na

Posted by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on Thursday, June 7, 2018

As guardians, we must take these vital steps in order to protect our beloved family members:

1. Keep dogs and cats indoors.

Unlike humans, dogs can sweat only through their footpads and cool themselves by panting, which makes it extra hard for them to beat the heat. Being left outside in hot weather can cause heat stress, injury, or death.

2. Never leave your dog—or any other animal—in a hot car.

It’s like being baked alive. Heatstroke can happen in just minutes, even with the car’s windows partially rolled down. And opening a window slightly won’t help—parking in the shade or leaving water in the vehicle won’t prevent your dog from overheating, either.

3. If you see a dog in a hot car …

… call 911 immediately. While you’re waiting for the police to arrive, write down the car’s make, model, and license plate number, or take a picture of the vehicle and go to the nearest building to find a manager and ask that the owner of the car be paged. If authorities are unresponsive or too slow to respond and the animal’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness who will back up your assessment before carefully removing the animal from the car and carrying him or her into the shade. PETA offers an emergency window-breaking hammer for help with intervening in these life-or-death situations. Don’t leave until the authorities arrive on the scene and you know that the dog is safe. Learn more about what to do if you see a dog in a hot car.

4. Recognize the symptoms of heatstroke, and take action if you see them.

Heatstroke is a potentially fatal emergency. Symptoms include restlessness, heavy panting, vomiting, lethargy, and lack of appetite or coordination. If a dog is exhibiting these signs, attempt to lower the body temperature by providing the animal with water and applying a cold towel to the head and chest. If someone is with you, one of you should take these steps in the car as the other drives the dog to a veterinarian.

5. Be mindful when walking a dog in hot weather.

On a hot day, the pavement on sidewalks can reach temperatures between 130 and 180 degrees, which is hot enough to hurt your dog’s feet and even seriously burn them. Here are some helpful tips when walking your companion in the heat:

  • Always test the pavement with the palm of your hand before setting out—if it feels hot, it’s too hot for Spot.
  • Walk early in the morning or late in the evening, when it’s cooler.
  • Choose shady routes.
  • Carry water, and take frequent breaks.
  • Never make dogs wear muzzles or halters that restrict their breathing.
  • Opt for a lightweight fabric collar or a nifty Swamp Cooler vest.
  • Walk—don’t run. Dogs will run to the point of collapse just to please you. At that point, it may be too late to save them.

Together, we can help drastically reduce the number of dogs and other animal companions who die in hot weather and even eliminate these tragedies altogether. Animals are counting on us—as their guardians and as good Samaritans—to keep them safe. We mustn’t let them down.

Take Action Now

The Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats (HOT CARS) Act of 2017 aims to minimize the number of children and animals who die in hot cars every year by requiring that automakers equip all vehicles with technology that alerts drivers when a passenger remains in the backseat after the engine has been turned off. Sadly, since the bill was introduced, more deaths have occurred—and there will certainly be more in the months ahead. But we can prevent tragedies like these. Click below to help:

Make sure that all your friends and family know the potentially lifesaving hot weather tips above.

Watch this video, listen to this radio clip, and check out this ad to learn more about the reasons why you should never leave a dog in a hot car.

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