Every spring and summer there are many well-meaning animal lovers who leave their (primarily) dogs in vehicles while they shop or run errands without realizing that their beloved pet may end up suffering — or even dying — due to the effects of heatstroke. Most people don’t know that even on mild days, with temperatures in the low to mid-70’s, the temperature inside a parked car can quickly reach 100 degrees. In warmer, 85-degree weather, temperatures can reach 120 degrees within a half hour, even if a car window is left open a crack.

Leaving animals unattended in a vehicle on a warm or hot day  is not only unsafe, it’s also illegal. Leaving an animal unattended in a vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably cause suffering, disability, or death is a crime that carries with it up to six months in jail in L.A. (Penal Code 597.7).

Click here to read the entire article on Petfinder.com and for links to download the Hot Oven, Hot Car poster.