‘Do Better’: Woman Sees A Dog In A Hot Car. Now What?
"Go sit in a hot car that's turned off for 20 minutes."
A woman spotted a dog sitting inside a car and decided to call the authorities. Her decision has people debating about what the right course of action in the same situation.
TikTok creator Ash (@ash_marrrr) was visiting Lynchburg, Virginia when she noticed something disturbing in a nearby parked car.
“Don't leave your dog in a hot car,” she says to start the video. “This poor dog has been in this car for at least 20 minutes. I've called 911. I'm waiting for animal control to get here.”
She adds, “This poor dog is curled up in the floorboard panting. It's going to reach the 90s today in Virginia. Please do better.”
In the caption, Ash writes, "Humans are despicable."
National Weather Service: Look Before You Lock
Ash also references a well-known statistic in her caption regarding the dangers of leaving children or pets unattended in vehicles. The National Weather Service (NWS) requests drivers “Look Before You Lock,” meaning they should check to make sure the car is empty before getting out.
That's because, according to the NWS, the inside of a vehicle is not unlike a greenhouse. Temperatures can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes and 50 degrees in an hour. That's when the temperatures are mild. When it's hot outside like it was when Ash took the video, the effect is magnified.
And, according to the American Veterinary Association, cracking the window when you leave an animal in a car doesn’t help at all. Pets can still get extremely sick or even die in this situation.
According to PETA, seven pets have already died this year as a result of being left in a vehicle unattended. That number was 142 in 2025 and 111 in 2024. Another 25 animals have been rescued from those circumstances so far this year, and that number was 365 and 388 in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
So did Ash do the right thing in calling 911? Absolutely. According to the Animal Legal Defense Fund, just a handful of states have laws on the books legalizing breaking into cars to save pets in this situation. So the best thing a person can do is call 911 immediately and let law enforcement or an animal welfare officer address it. In Virginia specifically, police are responsible for rescuing animals locked in hot vehicles.
Viewers React To Woman Calling 911 About A Dog In A Car
In the comments section of the video, viewers reacted to Ash’s discovery of a dog left unattended in a Virginia car and her decision to call 911. Most, but not all, were on her side.
"My dog comes with me everywhere," one viewer wrote. "But the AC gets left on."
"Mind your business," wrote a second viewer. Ash replied, "Go sit in a hot car that's turned off for 20 minutes and report back."
A third person said, "Thank you for calling 911."
In an update, Ash said that the owner was eventually located and animal control arrived. The time between her call and the owner coming outside, she said, was "a total of 50 minutes." She did not know if the man was cited for leaving his dog in the car.
Motor1 contacted Ash via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We'll update this post if she responds.
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