Vets Asked To Spread 'Don't Cook Your Dog' Message

As temperatures soar across the UK, the British Veterinary Association (BVA) is asking all members in practice to display the Don’t Cook Your Dog campaign poster to remind dog owners that dogs must not be left alone in cars this summer. The campaign was started by Dogs Today magazine editor Beverley Cuddy, together with designer Judith Broug, in response to the tragic incident involving the deaths of two police dogs earlier this year. The essential preventive message is that dogs die in cars every summer, even with the windows down. Many welfare organisations and individuals have signed up to support the campaign, which includes the distribution of posters and stickers, alongside a traditional media and social media campaign to raise awareness. Commenting on the campaign, Harvey Locke, President of the BVA, said: “The British Veterinary Association is proud to be part of the Don’t Cook Your Dog campaign. It’s a simple but tragic fact that dogs die in hot cars and we need to get this message out to every single dog owner. “Dogs should never be left in cars by themselves. Even when the day is just warm, not hot, it can quickly become very hot inside a vehicle. Leaving windows open and a bowl of water is simply not enough. Dogs perspire primarily through their tongues and paw pads so they can’t cool down quickly enough to cope with the rising heat in a car. “We’re asking our members to display the campaign poster in veterinary practice waiting rooms to reach as many dog owners as possible.” Beverley Cuddy, Editor of Dogs Today, added: “It really is astonishing how quickly this new campaign has gone from being the germ of a good idea to a campaign that could really save lives. It is uniting the doggie world and when we all pull in the same direction it is really quite awe-inspiring! The BVA’s backing is a huge step forward. In less than a week every vet in the country will have a poster.” Copies of the poster will be sent to all BVA members via the BVA journal Veterinary Record on 13th August. Veterinary practices can order stickers, posters and merchandise direct from the Don’t Cook Your Dog website www.dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/dontcookyourdog

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