For immediate release:
21 August 2024
Contact:
Maddy Missett 202-483-7382
Wilmington, North Carolina –
One hundred window hammers are on their way to the Wilmington Police Department from PETA. These life-saving tools help officers quickly intervene to rescue animals or children trapped in sweltering vehicles. PETA contacted the police department and offered to donate the hammers after the department issued a warning last month about the dangers of leaving animals and children in hot cars.
Photo credit: PETA
“Animals left alone in a parked car are in danger every minute they spend helpless in the heat,” said PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “PETA thanks the Wilmington Police Department for bringing attention to the suffering of animals in the heat, embracing these ‘hero hammers,’ and standing by to save anyone in need.”
So far this year, at least 90 dogs and other pets have died from heat-related causes, and another 306 animals – many trapped in sweltering vehicles – have been rescued from the heat. (The actual numbers are likely much higher, as most deaths and rescues go unreported.) On a 70-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can rise to 90 degrees in 20 minutes. On a 90-degree day, the temperature inside can reach as high as 108 degrees in just 10 minutes.
Anyone who sees a dog or child alone in a parked car should not leave the scene of the accident and act immediately. Call 911. Then write down the make, model, color, and license plate of the vehicle and have the owner paged immediately by nearby businesses. If authorities do not respond or respond too slowly and the dog’s life appears to be in immediate danger, find a witness and take the necessary steps to free it from the car, such as using PETA’s Emergency Window Hammer, available here.
PETA—whose motto includes, “Animals are not meant to be mistreated in any way”—points out that every animal is someone, and offers free empathy kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, on facebook.or Instagram.
