Tragedy strikes every summer. Children and pets die from heatstroke after being left unattended in cars and trucks. It should never happen, but it does when unknowing vehicle owners think leaving a window slightly open or parking in the shade alleviates potential problems.

But it's not sufficient. Within minutes after children or animals are left in a vehicle, temperatures can drastically rise and wreak havoc. Young children and pets can’t help themselves.

Never leave pets or children unattended in vehicles.

In Episode #43 of The Weekly Driver Podcast, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia speak with Dan Carron, a senior analyst for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, reports:

“Every year, dogs suffer and die when their guardians make the mistake of leaving them in a parked car—even for “just a minute”—while they run an errand. Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 100 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in less than 10 minutes.”

Carron provides statistics and sad examples of the animal cruelty when owners believed their pets would be okay when left in vehicles “because it was only going to be for a few minutes.”

Carron also notes that PETA provides free pamphlets and posters for the public stressing the dangers of leaving animals in vehicles.