If I Had a Hammer … to Rescue a Dog From a Hot Car!

For Immediate Release:
July 25, 2018

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Seattle authorities have reportedly responded to more than 200 calls about dogs who were left in hot cars this year, and there’s good cause for concern: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes—and if a dog is trapped inside, the situation can turn critical fast. There have been at least 39 hot weather–related animal deaths so far this summer in the U.S., and with months of hot weather still to come, that number will surely surpass 2017’s 44 reported deaths and the 52 deaths reported in 2016. And these are just the ones that have been reported—most aren’t.

Because these dogs’ lives are in the hands of passersby, PETA is offering lifesaving emergency hammers, available for purchase through the PETA Catalog, so that anyone can spring into action and be a window-smashing hero for animals.

“Imagine being equipped to save a life simply by whipping out this tool from your purse or car console,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA urges all caring people to keep our hammer on hand in case of an emergency—it could mean all the difference for a terrified animal locked and suffering inside a hot car.”

PETA also shares the following lifesaving tips:

• Keep dogs and cats indoors.
• Never, ever leave an animal inside a parked car, even if the vehicle is in the shade with the windows slightly open.
• If you see a dog in a hot car, call local humane authorities or the police, and stay on the scene until the situation has been resolved. If the authorities are unresponsive and/or the dog’s life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness (or several) who will back up your assessment, and do whatever it takes to remove the suffering animal from the car.

PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way.” For more information, please visit PETA.org.