Group Asks Mall to Place 'Too Hot for Spot' Advisories on Parking Spots
For Immediate Release:
July
30, 2012
Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382
Spokane, Washington -- In the wake of last week's lucky rescue of a basset hound who had been left in a hot car parked outside the Spokane Valley Mall, PETA has fired off a letter to mall officials with a lifesaving suggestion: Paint PETA's "Too Hot for Spot" advisory, which features a cartoon drawing of a dog locked in a parked car and warns, "In Hot Weather, Leave Dogs at Home!" on the mall's parking spaces. As PETA explains in the letter, leaving a dog in a parked car—even for a short period of time, in the shade, with the windows cracked—can have fatal consequences.
"PETA wants to help the Spokane Valley Mall turn what was very nearly a tragic incident into an educational opportunity for the whole community," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "The rule is simple: When the weather turns warm, never leave your dog in the car."
TV: PETA's new public service announcement starring Elisabetta Canalis, which shows the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars, is available upon request. Print: PETA's warm-weather public service announcements featuring Laura Bell Bundy are available to link to or download here (for print) and here (for online). Radio: PETA's warm-weather public service announcement is available to link to or download here.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
PETA's letter to Daryl Rheingans, general manager of the Spokane Valley Mall, follows.
July 30, 2012
Daryl
Rheingans
General
Manager
Spokane
Valley Mall
Dear Mr. Rheingans:
I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 3 million members and supporters—including thousands across Washington—with a suggestion that could save many lives. Following last week's lucky rescue of a basset hound trapped inside an overheated car in your parking lot, we have a lifesaving suggestion: Will you please stencil our "Too Hot for Spot" public service advisory on parking spots in the Spokane Valley Mall lot?
PETA receives dozens of reports every summer of dogs who have suffered and died in parked cars. Even cracking the windows or parking in the shade does not usually prevent dogs from rapidly becoming severely overheated. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes. On a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Because dogs do not sweat through their skin, dogs can succumb to heatstroke in just 15 minutes, resulting in brain damage or death. For example, two police dogs in San Antonio died just last week. Our stenciled advisory can serve as a last-minute reminder to shoppers not to leave their dogs in the car.
I look forward to working with you.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Stephanie
Bell
Associate
Director
Cruelty
Investigations Department