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The hot weather has a local businessman on a crusade to help save your pets. It started in Austin but it’s going global and centered around a fashion accessory: a black rubber band bracelet with life-saving information.
The dog days of summer are idling by but not fast enough for our four-legged friends.
The summer heat and humidity has pounded on the state with suffocating force and animals aren’t immune.
Often we’ll see animals in cars with the windows cracked and the air conditioning going but according to the American Veterinary Medical Association this isn’t enough. AVMA reports several hundred pets die each year when left in hot cars and that’s what prompted Andrew Parker to jump into action.
"We're trying to raise awareness to get people to stop doing it," Parker says. "Even just leaving the windows down a little bit it doesn't really solve the issue."
Parker first became aware of the issue after reading the news.
"I used to leave my pets in the car when I would run in to HEB and then I read a news story about it,” Parker says.
So he took on the role of guinea pig. "I tried it out myself and sat in the car a bit."
Parker says he sweated and his body temperature rose. He says it was painful and he knew he had to do something.
"My hope is someone will see someone wearing the wrist band and ask where did you get that?" Parker says.
Parker is selling the bracelets through his website.
The bracelets have tons of information about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars. It also tells you how fast the temp
Parker says he hopes his bracelets can be a small contribution to a larger cause.
"I think it's a cause a lot of people care about and it's not talked about enough."
The campaign originally started in Austin but has spread throughout the U.S. People from as far as Europe and Russia have ordered the bracelets.
Officials say that if you see an animal in a hot car that’s in distress you should call 9-1-1.