Angele Lazurko and Matthew Arbour of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, are facing animal cruelty charges after they left Lazurko's chocolate lab mix locked in a hot car. While they were shopping at the mall, the one-and-a-half-year-old dog suffered and died.
Lazurko, 20, said to be an animal lover, is devastated over the loss of her favorite pet. She has been 
Even dog lovers seem to forget how hot it gets in the car when summer rolls around each year. It doesn't have to be all that hot outside for the inside of a car to become dangerously hot. According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) on a 78 degree day the inside of a car can reach temperatures from 100 to 120 degrees in a very short time. On a 90 degree day, the temperatures rise to more than 160 degrees inside a car. An animal can suffer brain damage or death from heat stroke in 15 minutes. Leaving the windows cracked does not change this dynamic.
The symptoms of a pet being overheated include: restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, rapid heartbeat, vomiting, dark tongue, and lack of coordination. Move the animal into the shade (outside the car) and contact a veterinarian immediately. Help to lower the animal's body temperature by giving it water to drink, applying cold compresses or ice packs to the head, chest, and neck, or immerse the animal in lukewarm water. Do not use cold water as this may cause the animal to go into shock. (Source: The Herald-News)
You may considered your pet a member of the family and want to take it everywhere, but on a hot day, if you won't be able to keep your pet with you when you go inside. If you see a pet left inside a hot car, please call 911.
