An animal protection group has just launched the "My Dog is Cool" Campaign, aimed at keeping dogs and other pets from suffering and dying in hot cars. The United Animal Nations Web site www.MyDogIsCool.com is full of handy (and eye-opening) information, including a tool where you enter your city or zip code to receive the weather forecast and an alert will appear if the temperature is dangerously hot. (But keep checking, because the alerts are real time. The temperature could rise later.)

You can also print out an informational flyer so when you see a dog left in a car you can leave one for the owner. Some people will get upset with that but if it helps save a dog, who cares.
There's also a chart that shows just how hot the inside of the car gets at various outside temperatures.
According to the Web site, a dog can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death.
A Stanford University test found that when it's 72 degrees outside, a car's internal temperature can rocket to 116 degrees within an hour, even with windows cracked. When it is 85 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can soar to 102 degrees in 10 minutes and 120 degrees in 30 minutes.
Be part of the cool dog campaign by taking the My Dog Is Cool! pledge and sending in a photo.