On a sweltering summer day, Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu put himself in a dangerously hot situation—not on the football field, but inside a parked car. Partnering with PETA, the NFL star volunteered for a public service announcement to expose the brutal reality of what happens to dogs left inside vehicles during warm weather.
To demonstrate just how quickly things can turn life-threatening, Mathieu sat inside a parked car on a 90ºF day. The windows were slightly cracked—just as many dog owners might leave them, thinking it makes a difference. But in reality, it doesn’t.
Within just eight minutes, the temperature inside the car skyrocketed to 120ºF. Mathieu, a professional athlete used to grueling workouts and intense game-day conditions, was visibly struggling. His breathing became labored, sweat poured down his face, and he wiped at his brow as he shifted uncomfortably in the suffocating heat.
Now imagine being a dog in that same situation—without the ability to sweat and no way to escape. Unlike humans, dogs rely mostly on panting to regulate their body temperature. But when the air around them becomes too hot to breathe, panting isn’t enough. Their organs can start to shut down, leading to heatstroke and, ultimately, death.
“If you think this is bad, imagine what a dog feels like,” Mathieu said in the video, his voice strained from the intensity of the heat. His body had options—he could sweat, he could open the door and leave—but dogs don’t have that choice.
Every year, countless dogs suffer and die in overheated vehicles because their owners underestimate just how fast temperatures rise. Even on a seemingly mild day, the inside of a parked car can turn into an oven within minutes.
People often think cracking the windows or leaving the car for just a few minutes will be safe—but Mathieu’s experience proved otherwise. Even for him, someone in peak physical condition, the heat was unbearable. For a dog, it can become fatal even faster.
The takeaway? If you wouldn’t sit inside a locked car on a hot day, your dog shouldn’t either. Running an errand may only take a few minutes, but in that time, your pet’s life could be in danger.
Mathieu’s brave demonstration serves as a powerful and urgent reminder: never leave a dog alone in a parked car. The risk isn’t worth their life.
