For Immediate Release:
April 16, 2024
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
Port St. Lucie, Fla. –
Following Port St. Lucie officers’ rescue of a canine from a scorching SUV final week, PETA despatched an pressing letter at present to Ted Decker, chair, president, and CEO of The Home Depot, requesting that the corporate put up warning indicators outdoors shops nationwide reminding patrons by no means to go away a canine or a toddler inside a parked automobile, the place temperatures can spike in minutes and topic these trapped inside to immense struggling and an agonizing dying.
Port St. Lucie Police Officer Taylor Battistelli, who pulled the canine from the sweltering car, instructed information sources, “She was panting really heavily. She appeared very nervous. You could feel the heat coming off her. She felt like she was on fire when I first pulled her out.”
“A parked car can quickly become a death trap for dogs, cats, and children who can’t escape as temperatures soar and their bodies shut down,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is urging The Home Depot to help prevent tragedies by reminding customers never to leave a vulnerable family member in the car.”
Last yr within the U.S., 163 dogs and cats died from heat-related causes, together with not less than 69 in autos alone—and the precise numbers are doubtless far greater, as most such deaths go unreported. On a 70-degree day, the temperature inside a parked automobile can soar to 99 levels in 20 minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the inside temperature can attain as excessive as 109 levels in simply 10 minutes.
Anyone who sees an animal or a toddler in a parked car ought to take speedy motion: Write down the colour, make, mannequin, and license plate quantity, and rush to have close by shops web page the proprietor of the automobile. If the proprietor can’t be discovered, name the native humane authorities or the police. If they’re unresponsive, do no matter it takes to avoid wasting the individual’s life. PETA provides an emergency window-breaking hammer for intervening in life-and-death situations.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and provides free Empathy Kits for individuals who want a lesson in kindness. For extra data, please go to PETA.org or observe the group on X, Facebookor Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Decker follows.
April 16, 2024
Ted Decker
Chair, President, and CEO
The Home Depot
Dear Mr. Decker:
I hope you might be effectively. We admire your organization for the assistance it has given us over the years with doghouses for our Community Animal Project. Now, we have now an pressing matter to convey to your consideration in response to studies {that a} canine was rescued from a scorching car in a Home Depot parking zone in Port St. Lucie, Florida. On behalf of our tens of millions of members and supporters in addition to dogs and kids (sure, they’re typically left in scorching vehicles, too) in all places, we urge you to take immediate motion to stop further probably deadly errors by posting indicators in your parking heaps and retailer entrances advising clients in opposition to leaving any residing, feeling beings inside unattended autos. We would deeply admire it.
Just since final yr, there have been not less than 69 scorching climate–associated companion animal deaths involving autos. This quantity consists of solely incidents reported within the media, so the precise determine is clearly a lot greater. It doesn’t take lengthy for parked autos to show into lethal ovens—on a 70-degree day, the temperature inside one can soar to 99 levels in 20 minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the inside temperature can attain as excessive as 109 levels in simply 10 minutes.
Heatstroke, injury to organs (together with the mind), and dying can happen extraordinarily shortly, so it’s essential that no residing, feeling beings ever be left in parked vehicles—even for “just a minute.” Dogs are extremely inclined to heatstroke as a result of they will sweat solely via their footpads and funky themselves by panting. Please watch this short video about these life-threatening risks. I’m certain it’s going to transfer you.
Please, will you be a part of our efforts to avoid wasting lives by reminding buyers that they need to by no means go away dogs or anybody else in a scorching automobile? We’d be happy to ship you copies of our “Too Hot for Spot and Tot” public service announcement, or we may work on a customized design in partnership with you. Thank you in your consideration. I stay up for listening to from you.
Very actually yours,
Ingrid Newkirk
President
