Roswell Police Department Nets PETA Award for Saving Two Dogs in Hot Cars

Compassionate Police Department Award Recognizes Kind Actions That Saved Two Dogs From Heatstroke

For Immediate Release:
June 24, 2015

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Courtesy of PETA, a Compassionate Police Department Award is on its way to the Roswell Police Department, which rushed to a Home Depot parking lot in response to reports that a dog had been left inside a parked car in the sweltering heat. As outdoor temperatures soared to 97 degrees—while an infrared temperature gauge measured the heat inside the vehicle at 150 degrees—officers paged the driver of the car and were able to remove the elderly, panting dog and quickly cool him down. During the incident, the officers spotted another dog locked inside a car in the same parking lot and were able to locate the animal’s guardian to release the dog from the vehicle. Both dogs are recovering, and Roswell police have charged both guardians with cruelty to animals.

“Thanks to the quick thinking of these compassionate officers, these dogs escaped with their lives,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “Every summer, many more die agonizing, preventable deaths in hot cars, and that’s why PETA calls on bystanders to act quickly when a dog is left inside a car—even with the windows cracked—during hot months.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—reminds all dog guardians never to leave any animal inside a parked car. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

The Roswell Police Department will receive a framed certificate and a box of delicious vegan cookies. For more information, please visit PETA.org.