3 important steps you have to follow to rescue a dog from a hot car

Rescuing an animal from a hot car may save its life, and here is how to do it

Summer is here, and often people will leave their pets locked in their cars for 'just a few minutes' and many animals suffer from potentially fatal heat stroke as the temperature inside the vehicles becomes deadly.

The Humane Society has posted an article on how to help animals trapped in these deadly conditions.

Contact the owners or the authorities

Take down the car's make, model, and license plate number, and ask nearby businesses to announce the danger the animal is in. Hopefully, the owner will quickly return and rescue their pet.

If no-one responds, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control and wait by the car for them to arrive.

Find out what the law in your state decrees about leaving pets in hot cars. Many states prohibit leaving pets in the car and grant immunity to good Samaritans who rescue endangered animals.

Encourage your local authorities to post public warnings adverting people not to leave their pets in the car, even with a window partially rolled down.

Research shows that a partially opened window has little effect in reducing the temperature inside the car.

The metal of the car acts like a heat trap, reaching temperatures as hot as an oven. When it's 72 degrees Fahrenheit outside, your car can heat up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit in the space of a single hour.

When it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature can soar up to 99 degrees Fahrenheit within 10 minutes. Pets exposed to these temperatures frequently die or suffer irreparable damage or generalized organ failure.

Making people aware of the dangers is the best way to keep their pets safe.

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