Petplan political campaign aims to protect pets left in hot cars

"Driven to Bark" petition seeks 100,000 signatures for review by Obama administration.

On August 4, Petplan Insurance launched “Driven to Bark,” an initiative to petition the Obama administration via the White House's petition site, We the People, to encourage all states to enact laws prohibiting animals from being left unattended in cars.

Hot cars cause the deaths of many pets each year, yet only 15 states have statutes in place that discourage people from leaving pets in hot cars, Petplan states in a company release.

If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures within 30 days it will be reviewed by White House staff and receive an official response. Petplan's goal is to gather the first 20,000 signatures within the first 24 hours to create the strongest impact.

The company hopes that by raising this issue to a national level local, state and national legislators will be motivated to help pass laws to protect pets. For more information and to sign the petition, visit gopetplan.com/driven-to-bark.

Two frequent dvm360 contributors have done their own projects on this as well. In 2012, Dr. Ernie Ward filmed himself in a hot car, experiencing what a pet would feel when left alone.

In June, Dr. Andy Roark in his outreach work with Vetstreet, also filmed a video about what it's like for pets to be left in a hot car.

Here's a resource to help you keep pets safe in hot weather: 8 summer safety tips for pets. Plus, see the Related Links section below for an article on diagnosing and treating heat stroke in pets.

Have you ever treated a pet left in a hot car? Let us know in the comments below. (You must be registered and logged in to comment.)