In a Facebook post that went viral, Houston’s Northwest Volunteer Fire Department recently detailed the rescue of a tiny canine trapped in a hot car — including a shot of the dog looking up at rescuers inside the car through the passenger-side window.
“Heroes in Action!” the May 21post read. “Our incredible firefighters rescued a furry friend from a dangerously hot, abandoned car. With temperatures soaring, every second counted.” On the day of the rescue, temperatures reached a high of 92 degrees in Houston, according to Weather.com data.
The post went on to thank the firefighters’ “quick thinking and expert skills,” the little tan-and-white pooch was “rescued safely and is now in good hands.” And several of those “good hands” were on display in the fire department’s post, which included photos of volunteer firefighters nursing the pup back to health with water and cuddles. “We’re grateful for our local heroes who go above and beyond every day!” the post finished.
But for every rescue story like this one, there are tragedies reported every year.
Leaving pets locked in cars is never a great idea, but when the weather gets warmer, it can be downright deadly. High temperatures can cause irreparable organ damage and even death. “Do not leave your dog in the car on a hot or warm day,” Dr. Michelle Oakley, Dr. Oakley Yukon Vet star, tells PEOPLE magazine. “It’s unreal how deathly hot a closed car can get in the sun and the shade, even with the window cracked.”
“On a modestly warm day, around 75 degrees, it takes minutes for a closed car to reach 140 degrees, and even in the shade, that car will reach 100 degrees and over quickly,” Oakley says, adding, “That can easily kill your dog in a very short period.”
Protecting animals from an unnecessary death is a problem we can all agree to prevent. But when faced with a real life scenario, what do you do? Here are some tips from the The Humane Society to help you do the right thing:
How to Help a Pet Left in a Hot Car
- Take down the car’s make, model and license plate number.
- If there are businesses nearby, notify their managers or security guards and ask them to make an announcement to find the car’s owner. Many people are unaware of the danger of leaving pets in hot cars and will quickly return to their vehicle once they are alerted to the situation.
- If the owner can’t be found, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control and wait by the car for them to arrive. In several states, good Samaritans can legally remove animals from cars under certain circumstances, so be sure to know the laws in your area and follow any/all steps required.
Other Ways You Can Help
- Get informed: Learn your town’s and state’s laws about leaving pets in hot cars. An increasing amount of states prohibit leaving pets in hot cars, and some grant immunity to good Samaritans who must rescue pets in visible distress.
- Be ready to call for help: Gather essential telephone numbers and have them on hand. You’ll want to have your local animal control agency’s number and the police department’s non-emergency number so you can quickly report the situation. Keep these numbers in your purse, your car’s glove compartment or programmed into your phone.
- Spread the word: Distribute the Humane Society of the United States’ hot car flyer, which spells out the dangers of leaving pets in parked cars. Also share guidelines with your local law enforcement officials for how to investigate hot car-related deaths.
- Get involved: Ask local store managers, shopping malls, restaurants and other businesses to post signs asking customers not to leave their pets in their cars while shopping or dining. A huge part of the solution to this problem is raising awareness.
- Speak up: If your town or state doesn’t have a law prohibiting leaving pets in parked cars, contact your local representatives or attend a town hall meeting to start lobbying for one.
Remember, Cool Outside Doesn’t Mean It’s Cool in the Car
It doesn’t have to be that warm outside for a car to become dangerously hot inside.
- When it’s a mere 72 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature inside your car can heat up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit in less than hour.
- When it’s 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature inside your car can heat up to 99 degrees Fahrenheit within 10 minutes.
- Rolling down the windows has been shown to have little effect on the temperature inside a car.
Keep pets safe when it’s hot outside! Read More Tips from the Humane Society.
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Photo Credit: Steven_Zhou / Shutterstock.com