The "dog days" of summer can be dangerous for dogs – especially those dogs left inside hot cars. Every year, countless dogs die after being locked in cars while their owners work, visit, shop or run other errands. These tragic deaths are entirely preventable.

How Hot Do Cars Get?
Have you ever noticed how hot it can get inside a car on a summer day – far hotter than it is outside? That's because a car acts like a greenhouse, trapping the sun's heat.


A study by the Animal Protection Institute showed that even moderately warm temperatures outside can quickly lead to deadly temperatures inside a closed car.

The study, conducted during a local heat wave, compared an outside temperature of a shaded area with the inside of an automobile in three states: fully closed, with four windows cracked and with two windows cracked. Inside temperatures were measured with an indoor-outdoor thermometer and an oven thermometer (both readings are given).