The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is encouraging its members in practice to display the group's "Don’t Cook Your Dog" campaign poster to remind owners that dogs should not be left in cars in during summer months. The campaign was initiated in response to an incident involving the deaths of two police dogs earlier this year. “It’s a simple but tragic fact that dogs die in hot cars and we need to get this message out to every single dog owner,” said Dr. Harvey Locke, president of the BVA. “Even when the day is just warm, not hot, it can quickly become very hot inside a vehicle.” Animal welfare organizations and individuals have signed up to support the campaign, which includes the distribution of posters and stickers in conjunction with a media and social media campaign to raise awareness. “Dogs perspire primarily through their tongues and paw pads so they can’t cool down quickly enough to cope with the rising heat in a car,” Dr. Locke said. Copies of the poster will be sent to BVA members via the BVA journal Veterinary Record on Aug. 13. “We’re asking our members to display the campaign poster in veterinary practice waiting rooms to reach as many dog owners as possible,” Locke said. <Home>
