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From Hot Car to Parvo, Little Lulu Overcomes It All

Written by: Arizona Humane Society

Trapped in a Stifling Hot Car, Windows Barely Cracked, Lulu was Running Out of Time.

Lethargic and desperate for help, the 7-week-old puppy was spotted by a Salt River Police Department Ranger who acted quickly to gain access to the vehicle and rescue Lulu from an extremely dangerous situation. Lulu was transferred into the care of our Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ and brought to our Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital™ for treatment.

Lulu, thankfully, dodged serious complications from the incident but her difficult journey was just getting started. Our medical team discovered Lulu was suffering from the deadly Parvo virus – a highly-contagious, often fatal viral disease in puppies and unvaccinated adult dogs. The fragile puppy was transferred to AHS’ Parvo Puppy ICU, where she received fluids and specialized medical care for several weeks.

Slowly but surely, little Lulu made a full recovery, and the playful pup who loves to cuddle eventually found her forever home in Queen Creek.

Lulu’s story reminds us not only of the importance of vaccinating your pet to protect against life-threatening diseases like Parvo, but also how quickly your car can become a scorching oven and to never leave pets or kids in hot cars.

This summer, AHS is teaming with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Penguin Air for the “Don’t Leave Me Behind” vehicular heatstroke awareness campaign. We are challenging everyone to keep the number of incidents of children and pets left in hot cars this summer to zero and to help spread this important safety message. Pets like Lulu are counting on you.

If you see a child or pet in a hot car and believe they are in imminent danger of physical injury or death:

  1. Call 911.
  2. Determine if the vehicle is locked.
    • If unlocked, open a door to enter the vehicle.
    • If locked, you may break the window. Do not use more force than is necessary.
  3. Remain with the child or pet until the authorities arrive.

How to Help Pets in Hot Cars

May 16, 2018
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