Chicago event targets dog owners to prevent deaths in hot cars

Local volunteer-led event part of national My Dog Is Cool campaign efforts

Chicago, IL (May 29, 2013) – On Saturday, June 1, volunteers with RedRover, a national nonprofit animal protection organization, will partner with Girl Scout Troop #40417 of Des Plaines to spread the message that dogs should not be left in cars on warm days.

The Girl Scout troop of 11 youths ages 10 to 11 selected RedRover to achieve their Bronze Award, which is the highest award a Junior Girl Scout can achieve, because they believed they could save more animal lives through this initiative than other projects they investigated.

The Girl Scouts and other RedRover volunteers will demonstrate the vast difference between the outside and interior temperatures of a vehicle, talk with families and provide informational summer pet safety fliers, posters and other giveaways.

EVENT INFORMATION:

Saturday, June 1
1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Anti-Cruelty Society
510 N. La Salle
Chicago, IL

“Leaving a dog in the car while running errands, dining or visiting a tourist attraction 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 in a cool house.”

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 between 101 to 102.5 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.

This event is part of RedRover’s national My Dog Is Cool campaign. This Spring, more than 30 awareness events are taking place throughout the United States and Canada. 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:

Debbie Ferguson, VOLUNTEER: 847.274.2329 or theosmom23@yahoo.com

For information about RedRover, the national organization supporting this and 30 other My Dog Is Cool Action Day events nationwide this Spring, contact Leili Khalessi at 916.429.2457 or lkhalessi@redrover.org.

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