Heat inside a car is dangerous

On a 70-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 99 degrees in 20 minutes. On a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in just 10 minutes. And children and animals succumb to brain damage and heat stroke far faster than human adults.

Anyone who sees a child or dog alone in a parked car should never leave the scene and should take immediate action. Call 911. Then write down the vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate number and rush to have nearby stores page the owner.

If authorities haven’t arrived and the life of the child or dog appears to be in imminent danger, find a witness and take the necessary steps to remove them from the car, like using PETA’s emergency window-breaking hammer.

Teresa Chagrin

Animal Care and Control Issues Manager

PETA