Arden Fair Mall targets dog owners to prevent deaths in hot cars
Local organizations and mall team up to join national My Dog Is Cool campaign efforts
Who: RedRover, a national nonprofit animal protection organization based in Sacramento, will partner with Arden Fair Mall, Sacramento Police Department K9 squad and City of Sacramento Animal Care to offer a public demonstration to spread the message that dogs should not be left in cars on warm days.
What: Volunteers and agency representatives will talk with shoppers and provide informational summer pet safety fliers, posters and other giveaways. Sacramento Police officers will be present with their K9 dogs to greet visitors, and animal control officers will be on hand to discuss the issue. Visitors will have the opportunity to take a pledge to never leave their dog in a hot car, and walk away with a card containing Sacramento-area phone numbers to call for help.
This event is part of more than 30 My Dog Is Cool Action Days taking place throughout the United States and Canada this month:
When: Friday, May 17, from 12 to 4 p.m. Come at 3 p.m. for the chance to talk with animal control officers and Sacramento Police K9 handlers.
Where:
Arden Fair Mall
1689 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
Why:
“Leaving a dog in the car while running errands, dining or shopping at the mall can literally be a death sentence,” said RedRover President and CEO Nicole Forsyth. “As the heat inside a car quickly rises, dogs suffer irreversible organ damage and eventually death. The safe choice is to leave your dog at home.”
“All too often, Arden Fair Mall security finds dogs left in hot cars in our parking lots,” says Steven Reed, Arden Fair Security. “We hope this event will raise awareness among patrons about this issue and reduce the number of times we have to rescue dogs in distress and contact police.”
Already in 2013, several cases of dogs being left behind in hot cars have made the headlines. In April, a Virginia woman was charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty when her two dogs perished in a hot car while she shopped at a Walmart for about an hour, despite parking in a shaded area and leaving the windows cracked. A Massachusetts student was charged with cruelty to animals after he left his golden retriever in a car at Cape Cod Community College. Despite temperatures in the 70s outside, the temperature in the car was a sweltering 106, and the dog was showing signs of heat distress.
Five reasons why leaving a dog in a car on a warm day can be deadly:
- Dogs are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness because they can only cool off by panting and through the pads in their feet.
- Even seemingly mild days are dangerous. In a Stanford University study, when it was 72 degrees outside, a car’s internal temperature climbed to 116 degrees within one hour, with most of the rise happening in the first 15 to 30 minutes.
- Enclosed cars heat up quickly. In a study by San Francisco State University, when it was 80 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car rose to 99 degrees in 10 minutes and 109 degrees in 20 minutes.
- A dog’s normal body temperature is about 101.5 degrees; a dog can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering irreversible nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death.
- Studies show that cracking the windows has little effect on a vehicle’s internal temperature.
Upon seeing a dog in distress in a hot car, it is imperative to call the local animal control agency or police immediately. Arden Fair Mall’s security team is trained in dealing with dogs left in hot cars.
This event is part of RedRover’s national My Dog Is Cool campaign. To learn more about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars and to download educational materials to share with others, visit MyDogIsCool.com. Businesses are encouraged to download, print and post free signs available at the website to warn patrons about the dangers of leaving pets in hot cars.
RedRover focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals through a variety of programs, including emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. RedRover’s My Dog Is Cool campaign is designed to get the word out to individuals and communities about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars through fliers, posters, and other educational materials as well as educate the media, general public, police, emergency workers and city officials about steps to take to prevent dogs from dying in hot cars.
MEDIA CONTACT:Leili Khalessi 916.429.2457 or lkhalessi@redrover.org.