Spurs star gets locked in hot car to demonstrate dangers of leaving dogs in vehicles

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Spurs star Lonnie Walker IV has volunteered to be locked in a hot car to demonstrate the danger of leaving dogs in vehicles.

In a video produced by PETA, Walker’s dog Zola leaves with a friend to go shopping while the Spurs player stays in the car with the windows barely cracked open.

“On a 78-degree day, temperatures in a parked car can rapidly increase to 100 degrees,” Walker says.

In the video, the interior temperature continues to climb, reaching 109 degrees and Walker is drenched in sweat. He starts panting and yelling for someone to open the door before saying he feels dizzy and is about to pass out.

“If you see a dog alone in a hot car, take down the car’s information and contact the dog’s guardians, or just contact the authorities,” Walker says. “You could save a life.”

The video notes that while humans can perspire, which helps us cool our body temperature, dogs can only cool themselves by panting and sweating through their paw pads. Left in a hot car, they can suffer a heat stroke and die.