In order to shine a spotlight on the danger of leaving animals in parked vehicles, chart-topping singer Paulina Rubio stars in a disturbing new video for PETA that shows her slowly succumbing to heatstroke inside a hot car.
The video urges viewers not to let their animal companions endure the same fate.
“The helplessness, fear, and agony that dogs must feel as their bodies shut down inside a sweltering car is hard to imagine,” says Rubio. “My friends at PETA and I are shouting this message from the rooftops: Never leave anybody inside a parked car, and if you happen to see a dog in danger inside a vehicle on a warm day, please do whatever it takes to get him or her to safety.”
Every year, PETA receives reports of dogs who have died as a result of being left alone in a car — even when the windows are slightly open or the car is parked in the shade. On a relatively mild summer day, the temperature inside a car can climb to more than 100 degrees in a matter of minutes.
PETA — whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” — advises anyone who sees a child or dog left in a parked car to take down the vehicle’s color, make, model, and license-plate number and call the local humane authorities or police. Don’t leave until the individual is safe — and if the situation becomes dire, do whatever it takes to save his or her life.
