West Des Moines, IA

As temperatures rise, remember that a parked vehicle can become dangerously hot within minutes, even with the windows cracked. Unlike humans, pets cannot cool themselves as effectively and can quickly suffer from heat exhaustion, dehydration, or heatstroke. In severe cases, leaving a pet in a hot vehicle can lead to serious injury or death. If you’re running errands, leave your pet safely at home. When outdoors, make sure pets have access to plenty of fresh water, shade, and a cool place to rest. Pet owners should also be aware that animal neglect charges may apply if a pet becomes ill or dies after being left in a hot vehicle.

This summer, help keep your furry family safe, if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pet.

A few key tips:

• Never leave your pet in a vehicle, even for a few minutes.
• The temperature inside a parked car may hit 100 degrees within minutes, so just "10-minutes" can be fatal to your pet.
• Open the windows a few inches doesn't provide enough cooling air to your pet.
• If you're running errands, leave your pet at home. • If traveling, make your pit stops at places where your pet can go out of the vehicle and remain in a cool spot and have access to water.

The short below shows how outside air temperature can increase inside a vehicle in just a short time.