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SUMMER:
Rabbits Inside A Hot Car
During
the hot days of summer, the temperature inside a parked car can climb to more than 160°F in a matter of minutes even
with the windows slightly open. The normal body temperature of a rabbit
is about 103.3 to 104°F; heatstroke and heat prostration can occur if the rabbit's body temperature rises to around 104°F.
Rabbits cannot tolerate ambient (surrounding air) temperatures above 78°F. At 105°F, cellular destruction begins. With
only hot air to breathe, rabbits can suffer irreparable brain damage and become moribund quickly. Every year, rabbits and other animals die horrible, agonizing deaths as a result of heatstroke
in cars.
If you see an animal confined to a vehicle in hot weather, consider it an emergency. Please do the following:
1. Write down or memorize
the make, model, and license plate of the vehicle.
2. Go into the nearby
business and ask to speak with a manager about an emergency situation.
3. Calmly
explain to the manager that there is an animal confined to a vehicle outside, that s/he could die in a matter of minutes,
and that you would like to have the animal's guardian paged immediately. Follow
the manager around until this is done. Be pesky if necessary!
4. Remain
in the area until the owners of the vehicle show up. Smile, be friendly, and
explain how quickly and horribly a rabbit can die from heat stroke. State that you are worried about their rabbit.
Tell them that the rabbit looks over heated and is panting and/or drooling
heavily. Ask them to please administer immediate care- cool water can be applied
at the scene to the rabbit’s ears with a damp cloth- and then rush the rabbit home to the comforts of air conditioning
as soon as possible. People may get defensive or nasty but try to remain calm. Continue to be be pesky
if need be. The rabbit's life may depend on you.
5. If the owners don't respond, or if they show up and refuse
to get the rabbit out of this deadly situation, call your local animal control emergency number and make clear that this
is an emergency. Animal control may tell you that it has no one to send or can't
be there for another hour. If that is the case, call 911. A rabbit's life may depend on it!
6. Don't leave the
scene until the situation has been resolved. Don't believe anyone who says, "We'll be right out." Make sure that they get
the rabbit out of the car and apply cool water to the rabbit’s ears.
7. Don't
be shy in these situations. Rabbits depend on us to be their advocates and speak
up for them. GET ACTIVE: RAISE A RUCKUS FOR THE RABBITS!
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