An athlete in Arizona was recently accused of leaving his dog, alone, locked in a hot car. Even worse - it appeared he had left the animal there for as long as
3 hours. That's enough time for an animal to potentially die.
Sign the petition to urge the Westgate Entertainment District and other large shopping and food complexes in Arizona to develop pet-specific areas to keep animals safe while their humans visit!Concerned passersby noticed a dog locked inside a car and called authorities to the scene. The car was in a parking lot of a shopping and dining complex. One window was cracked just slightly, to allow a small amount of air circulation. There was no food or water. And by the time authorities arrived, the animal had begun panting from the accumulated heat inside the vehicle.
When the athlete finally returned to his car, he at first denied that the car or dog were his. Eventually, he admitted he had left the dog there because
there was nowhere else in the complex that would let him keep his dog with him. He'd run out of options, and he didn't know what to do because he didn't live in an apartment in town.
He said he wanted the best for the dog, so he agreed to let authorities take his pet with them in the hopes of finding a better environment.
But one begins to wonder - how many other families have been in similar situations, where they've felt backed into the terrible, dangerous option of leaving their pets locked in cars?
It would help a lot if massive entertainment and food complexes like the Westgate Entertainment District in Arizona could provide pet-friendly areas. That way, their humans could visit, while knowing that their loved animals are safe, too.
Sign the petition to urge structural changes in Arizona that will help humans and pets alike!