PETA honors woman who rescued dog from hot car in Palm Desert
A Palm Desert woman who rescued a dog locked inside a vehicle on a 102-degree day is being honored by PETA.
The woman, Sue Harvey, will receive a "Compassionate Action Award" from PETA, as well as vegan chocolate bars and a "Too Hot for Spot'' sunshade.
The rescue happened back on June 1 at the parking lot of the Palm Desert mall. Harvey said she spotted the dog inside the vehicle and called 911, knowing that the animal's life was in immediate danger.
She asked a passersby for help, borrowing a hammer to break the car's window and get the dog out.
The dog was rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic, where she was treated for heatstroke. Her temperature was 104.9 degrees—just 1.1 degrees shy of the temperature that can be fatal or cause irreversible brain damage to dogs.
The dog's owner was arrested and released on scene, however, they could face a misdemeanor conviction and jail time. The owner of the dog retrieved their pet on June 2 at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus in Thousand Palms after paying the medical bills ($1,033).
“I’d do it all over again if I had to,” Harvey told PETA
Harvey also said she bought her own hammer to keep in her car in case of future emergencies
“A parked car’s internal temperature can reach deadly triple digits in just minutes, so every second counts for a dog trapped inside,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA is honoring Sue Harvey for saving this dog’s life and reminding us all to do whatever it takes to help vulnerable animals.”
Within minutes, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 94 degrees on a 75-degree day or 109 degrees on a 90-degree day.
According to Phys.org, when a dog's internal temperature reaches 111.2°F, its circulation will fail, which causes kidney failure, lack of oxygen in the brain, and internal bleeding.
According to PETA, 10 dogs have died inside hot cars this year. In 2021, at least 59 animals died from heat-related causes and another 145 animals were reportedly rescued from potentially deadly situations—and since these numbers include only incidents reported in the media, the actual figures are surely far higher.
The ASPCA said it's important to be able to recognize the symptoms of overheating in pets:
- Excessive panting or difficulty breathing
- Increased heart and respiratory rate
- Drooling
- Mild weakness
- Stupor
- Collapse
- Seizures
- Bloody diarrhea
- Vomit
If you see a dog inside a hot car displaying signs of overheating, contact authorities or see if you can find the someone to get ahold of the owner.
While it is legal in California to break a car window if you see an animal in imminent danger. According to AnimalLaw.org, a person who removes an animal from a vehicle is not criminally liable for actions taken reasonably and in good faith if the person does all of the following:
- (A) Determines the vehicle is locked or there is otherwise no reasonable manner for the animal to be removed from the vehicle.
- (B) Has a good faith belief that forcible entry into the vehicle is necessary because the animal is in imminent danger of suffering harm if it is not immediately removed from the vehicle, and, based upon the circumstances known to the person at the time, the belief is a reasonable one.
- (C) Has contacted a local law enforcement agency, the fire department, animal control, or the “911” emergency service prior to forcibly entering the vehicle.
- (D) Remains with the animal in a safe location, out of the elements but reasonably close to the vehicle, until a peace officer, humane officer, animal control officer, or another emergency responder arrives.
- (E) Used no more force to enter the vehicle and remove the animal from the vehicle than was necessary under the circumstances.
- (F) Immediately turns the animal over to a representative from law enforcement, animal control, or another emergency responder who responds to the scene.
