VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On a hot day, your car heats up fast, and leaving your pets inside a hot vehicle could be deadly.
“The inside of your car can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes,” said Holly Dalby with AAA Tidewater.
At one hour, a vehicle's inside temperature can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“Even five minutes can be dangerous for the pet,” Dalby said.
“Dogs typically run warmer than people," said Dr. Derrick Kier, a veterinarian with Independence Veterinary Hospital. "They’re naturally between 100.5 and 102.5.”
It happens often. Leaders with PETA received more than 160 reports of heat-related deaths in 2023. More than 850 animals were rescued from the heat.
Virginia Beach Police charged a woman with animal cruelty after authorities say she left two dogs in her car earlier this month. One dog died.
RELATED: After dog's death in Virginia Beach, what causes cars to heat up so quickly during the summer?
Dr. Kier said even keeping the windows of a parked car down doesn’t help.
“It helps reduce the temperature… but they can’t breathe the hot air in there,” he said.
Here are a couple of tips: leave your pets at home when you’re traveling. If you do bring them, always remember to check your backseat for them before locking up.
"Do not leave your pet in the vehicle when you're going inside a business," Dalby said. "Remember, your dog can't sweat and as that temperature rises, it's very fast for a dog to go into heat stroke."
Dr. Kier said certain breeds of dogs tend to overheat faster than others.
"Boxers, English Bulldogs, Mastiffs," he said "Anything that has the pushed-in nose, not the long stretched-out nose like a lab or a Collie. They can have problems breathing in cool temperatures."
He adds it’s important to pay attention to signs of heat exhaustion for pets.
“Excessive panting, difficulty breathing, elevated heart rate,” he said. "Staggering, difficulty walking, lots of saliva that's kind of thicker and stringy."
If your pet experiences any of those symptoms, he says put cold water on the pet and immediately take them to the vet.