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3 On Your Side: The Dangers Of Leaving Your Pet In A Vehicle In Extreme Heat

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Leaving pets locked in cars is never safe. But when the temperature soars like today, it can be deadly.  3 On Your Side consumer reporter Jim Donovan has more.

Even on a cool day it's not smart to leave a pet alone in a car.  But when we're experiencing high temperatures.  Leaving a dog in a car can cause irreparable organ damage and even death.

Melissa Cummings was walking in a parking lot when she noticed a dog inside a hot car.

She notified security, police were contacted and thankfully the dog was all right.

But Cummings was still troubled.

An animal lover herself, she wanted to be able to give animals a voice.

So she sat in her parked car, rolled up the windows and started recording a cell phone video.

"I have a headache, I'm nauseous, I'm really lightheaded, I feel like I'm going to throw up right now," said Cummings.

She stayed in the car for an hour.

"I was sweating, I was feeling horrible, and I just can't imagine what that would be like if I had a fur coat on," said Cummings.

A car's windows act like a greenhouse -- trapping heat from the summer sun with in minutes.

One study shows that on a 95 degree day in ten minutes the interior of a car reaches 114 degrees.  In 30 minutes it's up to 129 degrees. After one hour it hits 140 degrees.

PETA released a public service announcement on YouTube titled 'How long can this NFL player tough it out in a hot car?'

Arizona Cardinals' Tyrann Mathieu stepped up to the challenge and showed just how bad it can get.  He became flushed and was pouring with sweat as the temperature soared.

"If you're going to make a dog a part of your family, make him a part of your family. Don't treat him like someone you cared about or someone you loved," said Mathieu.

And on humid days it's even worse.  Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body.  If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels very quickly.

 

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