Resources

By Jon Sutz
Founder, HeatKills.us (and previously, HeatKills.org)

From the start, the guiding objective of the HeatKills project was:

  • To make it as easy and efficient as possible for people around the world to gain an evidence-based understanding of the heatstroke danger to dogs
  • To create an integrated suite of knowledge tools that anyone can use and distribute, for free, in digital and print form

Here are a few key resources that help to advance this objective:

(1) The HeatKills "Heatstroke Education Slide Show"

(2) The key HeatKills infographic (JPG)

(3) The large HeatKills flyer (JPG & PDF, with tear-off tabs)

(4) The small HeatKills flyer (JPG & PDF)

(5) The HeatKills “CLAW” Process flyer, for giving first aid to a conscious dog that appears to be suffering heatstroke

(6) Additional resources from animal health experts

(1) The HeatKills heatstroke education slide show

This slide show was designed from the ground up, over a number of years, to provide a plain-language "crash course" on the basics of heatstroke and dog physiology, and why they can begin to suffer organ and brain damage within 10 minutes of being left in a hot car.

Earlier versions of this slide show received high praise from several professionals; see below.

HEATKILLS.us HEATSTROKE EDU... by jonsutz

"This slide show is very informative and relevant to the work we do.  We often get calls for service which revolve around someone leaving a pet in a vehicle on a hot day.  It is important to provide our staff with this information to ensure they are well-informed when responding to these calls.  Thank you."

- Capt. Anthony McBee, University of Virginia Police Department, Charlottesville, VA

"This is a great presentation to help law enforcement and other community members understand the severe dangers of canine overheating in a hot car. I think the presentation is accurate and well developed."

- Dr. Tripp Stewart (over 21 years veterinary experience)
Owner
Greenbrier Emergency Animal Hospital, Charlottesville, VA

(2) The key HeatKills infographic (JPG)

This is the most-used HeatKills graphic resource, and the centerpiece of all of our activism. You can copy-and-paste it into emails, social media posts, documents, and much more -- so long as you only use it in its finished form:

(3) The large HeatKills flyer (JPG & PDF, with tear-off tabs)

This is a flyer that serves as a stand-alone item, and can be printed on your home printer -- or emailed to your local Staples, Office Depot, or FedExOffice, which can print them out in bulk (in some cases, they will give you a discount, as this is clearly a not-for-profit venture):

Here is the PDF:

HEATKILLS.us 8.5" x11&... by jonsutz

PDF with tear-off tabs, for bottom of flyer

Here is a template for affixing tear-off tabs to the bottom of the flyer (as shown below, I did this with the flyers for the predecessor site, HeatKills.org). Each page contains twenty tear-off tabs:

HEATKILLS.us flyer tear-off... by jonsutz

(4) The small HeatKills flyer (JPG & PDF)

Three of these flyers can be printed on one 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, then cut to divide, either on a home printer or by emailing the PDF (below) to your local Staples, Office Depot, or FedExOffice:

Here is the PDF:

HEATKILLS.us 3-up flyer: No... by jonsutz

(5) The HeatKills “CLAW” Process flyer, for giving first aid to a conscious dog that appears to be suffering heatstroke

During the rise of my predecessor site (HeatKills.org), I spoke to numerous veterinarians and veterinary college professors about the proper means of providing first aid to a conscious dog that may be suffering heatstroke.  The impetus for my research was a report I produced about a local SPCA that created and distributed an informational flyer that contained instructions for treating a dog in heatstroke that in reality would make the dog worse, or even kill it.

In reaction, as a multimedia designer, I wanted to create a definitive resource containing scientifically accurate information about how to treat a dog in heatstroke.  The result of my research and work was The "CLAW" Process:

And here is the PDF, ready for printing & sharing:

HEATKILLS.us "CLAW&quo... by jonsutz

(6) Additional resources from animal health experts

About Jon

I am a dog-loving visualization and graphic designer, writer and creative consultant. My professional bio is here. The most important, joyous job I’ve ever had, was as “dad” to Shayna, the “miracle dog” who helped to save my life after 9/11, and about whom I wrote my first book, “Saved By Shayna: Life Lessons From A Miracle Dog.” Read the Introduction here. See a short video about what made Shayna such an incredibly talented, inspiring and hilarious dog here. I created HeatKills.us (and its predecessor site, HeatKills.org) to help raise awareness of the dangers of leaving a dog in a hot car. Learn about my creation of the HeatKills project here.