As you know, people sometimes take their dogs along on errands but leave them in the car. As we know, this practice can be deadly.
But these tragedies are entirely avoidable. All that is needed to save dogs is a little education – with your help! Below are ways you can save animals’ lives by reminding people that it is dangerous and deadly to leave a dog in a hot car — even for “just a few minutes.”
The easiest and most popular way to participate is to hand out the hot car flyers. They contain information about the dangers of hot cars as well as what to do if someone sees an animal in distress.
Anywhere there’s a parking lot, there’s the danger of someone leaving his or her dog in the car to suffer. Ask stores, businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues and more to display hot car posters on their windows or doors to educate people how dangerous it is to leave their dog in the car. You can also display the posters at events, add to your office bulletin board or anywhere pet-lovers frequent.
Leaving a dog in a car can be a deadly mistake! That’s why we’ve created signs to educate people at the location of the incidents… in parking lots. These signs can be printed on paper and hung on store doors, but by then people have already left their dog in the car.
Signs created for outdoor use and displayed in parking lots can have a huge influence on saving dogs so contact us for more information on the steps to take to get signs produced and posted in parking lots.
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper warning people about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars. You can use our sample letter to the editor as a guide when writing. It’s always a good idea to personalize and make it your own – and tie it to something local whenever you can. If there was just in incident in your area, mention it. If the paper just wrote a story, good or bad, about dogs in hot cars, refer to it. And don’t forget to check your paper’s guidelines for restrictions on word length and other submission requirements.
Join us on our quest to get the social media space all abuzz about the dangers of hot cars – and what people can do to save dogs. “Like” our Facebook page, join in the conversation and help us spread the word about the dangers of hot cars online as well.
Do you have a website? A blog? A Twitter or Facebook page? Post stories about dogs in hot cars. Help educate your friends and family. Think of other ways to help get the word out online – comments on animal blogs or in response to stories in the media. Find out if your local paper has a place for community messages and post there. Post a “hot car warning” in your local Craig’s List reminding people not to leave their dog in a parked car when it’s warm. And if you come up with some creative new ways to get the word out – let us know so we can share with others as well.
At least 14 states and many municipalities have laws that specifically address the problem of animals left in cars in extreme temperatures. These laws often authorize law enforcement officials to enter a vehicle and remove the animal. Even states without these provisions may consider leaving an animal in an enclosed car to be animal cruelty.
Are you up for passing a law in your city or state? This is not an easy or quick task – but it can most certainly be done and is one of the strongest ways to save dogs from dying in hot cars – make it illegal! Fines and potential jail time have a great way of motivating people to change. Contact us for more information on the process involved in legislation.
Our friends at RedRover offer a powerful lesson plan to take to the classroom. “Hot Rod, Hot Dog” Lesson Plan leverages concepts in biology, physics and math to help students discover why leaving dogs in hot cars is dangerous. Educators and teachers everywhere are invited to download their free lesson plan materials and use it in their own classrooms.