‘Too Hot for Spot and Tot’: Urgent Hot-Weather Safety Tips From PETA

For Immediate Release:
July 15, 2020

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

As temperatures remain high across the country and amid reports that a baby had to be rescued after being left in a hot car in Wellington, PETA is taking action with an ad campaign, “Too Hot for Spot and Tot,” warning people never to leave dogs or children in parked cars on hot days. Even a “quick” errand can turn fatal, since social distancing because of COVID-19 extends store wait times and prolongs errands and forgetfulness—being distracted by running into a friend, taking a phone call, or otherwise being delayed—can take a vulnerable life.

This year, nine children and at least 21 dogs and cats have died from heat-related causes. PETA suggests doing the following in order to safeguard humans and animals:

• Never leave anyone inside a hot vehicle. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Dogs, who don’t sweat and can cool themselves only by panting, can rapidly succumb to heatstroke, even if a vehicle is parked in the shade with the windows slightly open, which has little to no effect on lowering the temperature inside.
• If you see an animal and/or a child left alone inside a car, call local humane authorities or 911 immediately and remain on the scene until the situation has been resolved. If authorities are unresponsive or too slow and a life appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness who will back up your assessment before carefully removing the child or animal from the car and carrying them into the shade. PETA offers an emergency window-breaking hammer for help with intervening in these life-or-death situations.
• To treat an animal suffering from suspected heatstroke, wrap a cool, wet towel around the head and neck without covering the eyes, nose, or mouth and wring out, resoak, and reapply it every few minutes. Pour lukewarm water over his or her body, and wipe excess water away, especially from the abdomen and between the hind legs. When authorities arrive, ensure that the animal is taken to a veterinarian for further care.

Law-enforcement officials across the country are also warning people of the dangers of hot weather. “Every year, we alert people to the danger of leaving children or pets inside cars in the summer,” says Chief of Police James R. Kruger Jr. from Oak Brook, Illinois. “The temperature inside a vehicle climbs approximately 43 degrees in just an hour. The loss of a defenseless animal in this manner is avoidable and should never happen. There is no reason to take your pet out in extreme heat without adequate air conditioning and water.”

Anyone who leaves a child or an animal to bake to death in a vehicle could face felony charges.

For more information, visit PETA.org.