Category: News

Every summer, hundreds of dogs die when their owners leave them in their cars while they go shopping. Even with the windows cracked open, the temperature inside a car can quickly soar to well over 100 degrees.

Last month, Kansas City police officer Jeff O’Rear adopted the Chihuahua he saved from a hot car July 25. That same day, in Kansas City alone, four other dogs were rescued from hot cars. Two of them did not survive.

The best thing to do is leave your dog at home, in a cool place with plenty of water. But for those pet parents who absolutely cannot leave home without their dogs, a Texas woman has come up with a way to help keep those pets safe.

A light bulb didn’t immediately go on over Dr. Mary Traverse’s head. For a few years, the human and animal chiropractor from Oatmeal, a small town about 40 miles from Austin, has been trying to come up with an idea.

“I live a little bit outside of town and I love to have my dogs with me, but I just can’t stand it. I can’t even run into the grocery store,” Traverse told KVUE. “A lot of times, I make a special trip back into town on a Saturday to run my errands just because my dogs would be safe.”

Last month, Traverse made her idea a reality. She bought a car hauler, added insulation and air conditioning to the interior, and filled it with colorful small, medium and large cages, each with a water bowl. She painted the exterior yellow, adding the company logo and the invitation to “Park Your Dog Here While You Shop.”

The Barking Garage officially opened for business July 25 at the Gateway Shopping Center in Austin. It’s only available Saturdays and Sundays.

“Anytime the facility is open there is someone there with [the dogs],” according to The Barking Garage’s Facebook page. “And the [dog] owner is the only person who handles the dog; she puts her dog in its own crate.”

The rates start at $10 per hour, with a 30-minute minimum.

After four days in business, The Barking Garage has had three customers, according to its Facebook page.

Gary Biggers, dog dad of a Huskie, told KVUE he might bring his furry pooch the next time he visits the shopping center. 

“I don’t know what’s in [the car hauler] but I know its cool,” Biggers said. “Huskies are hot in the summer, especially here, so I think that’s a great idea and I want to see more of those pop up…To save your pet’s life, just to put him in there while you’re shopping…because before you know it, 45 minutes go by and poor Fido is in the car.”

Would you leave your dog in the Barking Garage while you shopped? Please leave a comment below.

Photos via Instagram; Facebook

When she worked at a furniture factory near Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles 20 years ago, Lori Weise began noticing the hundreds of people living on the streets, many of whom had dogs.

She befriended some of those pet parents, who told her they would feed their dogs before they fed themselves. Unfortunately, many of their beloved pets ended up in animal shelters when they could no longer care for them.

“So many times, people feel they have to surrender their animals,” Weise told CNN, “when in reality, if they understood all the resources, they are happy to keep their animals.”

Weise was inspired in 1996 to start Downtown Dog Rescue, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources to low-income pet parents so they can keep their dogs.

DDR offers dog spay/neuter services, vaccinations, veterinary services, boarding, food and more — all free of charge to pet parents in need. These free services help keep 2,000 dogs out of shelters every year.

“The areas where we work tend to have higher crime rates, are densely populated and there are lots of animals,” Weise told CNN. “We’re really addressing the effects poverty has on pets. This is more than animal welfare, and keeping pets out of the shelter. It’s social welfare, social justice — basic services that people deserve.”

Weise is a nominee for the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year award, and is this week’s featured CNN Hero. The award honors “everyday people making extraordinary efforts to change the world,” according to the network.

Shelter Intervention Program Keeps Dogs with Their Pet Parents

Weise also launched the South L.A. Shelter Intervention Program, where volunteers at two local shelters inform people surrendering their dogs about the free services DDR provides. The volunteers are often successful at changing the pet parents’ minds.

“We’ve had people break down, their knees buckle. They’re on the ground just shaking because they love their dog so much,” Weise told CNN.

DDR also has a facility for dogs it has rescued from shelters. “The kennel is set up like a little house,” Weise said. “So the dogs kind of get an idea what it’s like to live in a home before hopefully they go to their forever home.”

Jobs for Unemployed Pet Parents

Weise now owns that furniture company she worked for 20 years ago. She’s been able to hire dozens of the pet parents she’s met through DDR.

“Everybody in life needs to find their purpose,” Weise said. “For me, it was helping people with their animals. I put myself in their position, and I think I’d want somebody to help me.”

Her favorite part of her work? “Knowing about a resource and sharing it with somebody who has lost all hope,” she told CNN.

The CNN 2015 Hero of the Year will be announced this fall. Each of the top finalists will receive $25,000 for their cause. The winner will receive an additional $100,000.

Last year’s winner was Pen Farthing, the founder of Nowzad Dogs, a nonprofit that reunites soldiers with the stray pets they cared for while serving in Afghanistan

To make a donation to Downtown Dog Rescue, click here.

Photo via Facebook