Simon Cowell is hot under the collar....

"Simon Cowell and PETA want people to know that leaving the windows cracked or parking under a tree for shade does not prevent the temperature from soaring inside a parked car."

Simon Cowell is hot under the collar when it comes to people who leave their dogs in cars while they shop, stop to eat, or "run some quick errands" in warm weather. The famously critical judge from the wildly popular American Idol is the star of PETA’s brand-new TV campaign entitled "Too Hot for Spot," which warns of the dangers of leaving dogs inside cars—even in weather that is merely warm.

"Far be it from me to be critical, but I find it really appalling that, this year, thousands of dogs will die of heatstroke inside parked cars," says Cowell, who appears in the plea with his canine pal Claude. "Never ever leave your dog inside a parked car. Your dog idolizes you. In warm weather, keep him safe at home."

Cowell and PETA want people to know that leaving the windows cracked or parking under a tree for shade does not prevent the temperature from soaring inside a parked car. Even on a relatively mild 78ºF day, the temperature inside a shaded car can climb rapidly to a dangerous 90ºF and can reach a deadly 160ºF if the car is parked in the sun. PETA received many reports about dogs who had been left in parked cars during the recent heat wave.

In an exclusive interview with PETA’s HelpingAnimals.com, Cowell discusses his animal-loving instincts. "Would I be more sympathetic [to American Idol contestants] if they were animal lovers?" he asks. "Yes, I mean, of course. Maybe some people are surprised that I like animals, but there’s a bit of a difference between telling someone who’s a useless singer, ‘You’re a useless singer,’ [and] drowning a puppy. I once had an incident with a guy who auditioned who actually admitted he likes killing animals. [He] didn’t go through."

Artificial dogs and cats that are made to look like cute sleeping pets, may be made from REAL PET FUR!

Fur animals

Gift and card shops around the country are selling ornamental / novelty gift animals made of real fur. They come in various shapes and sizes and most are of cats and dogs.

One of the main suppliers of these is a Surrey-based company who sell cats that look as though they are sleeping. These cats are retailed at around £25 each. The company claims they are made from rabbit fur from animals killed in China.

Others, from other companies, are shaped as small cats and dogs in baskets, and sell at a few pounds. There are also a wider variety of animals standing at about 15cm high.

All of these ornaments claim to be made from rabbit fur, although investigations in the United States found a large number of similar ones to be made from the fur of domestic cats and dogs.

Please, make sure that any artificial pet you purchase is made of 100% artificial material. Otherwise you may be buying a product that resulted from terrible cruelty.