Simon Helps Dogs

American Idol's toughest judge, Simon Cowell, is appearing in petaDishoom's brand-spankin'-new "Too Hot for Spot" public service announcement to help spread the word that a hot car is no place for your cool canine companion. A self-professed animal lover, Simon is always on the lookout for dogs in parked cars. But we'll let him tell you that story.

It only takes a few minutes for temperatures to rise to dangerous levels inside parked cars, even on mildly warm days with the windows down. On a 26-degree day, the temperature inside a shaded car is 32 degrees, while the inside of a car parked in the sun can reach 71 degrees in minutes. When left in cars on warm days, animals can succumb to heatstroke in just minutes. In fact, they can suffer and die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes, so by the time you pop in and out of the store or restaurant, it may already be too late.

Put yourself in your dog's shoes … er, um, collar. Would you want to be stuck in a car in the heat? Please, you know you complain when just sitting at a red light because there's no breeze. So leave your dog in the calm, cool comforts of home – his or her life could depend on it.