Baby vs. dog: Social experiment captures public reaction after both are left in a hot car

Summer may be winding down, but it’s still sweltering hot in cities across North America, and the inside of a parked car may just be the hottest place one can be.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in warm weather, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to life-threatening levels in just 10 minutes.

With unattended children and animals seemingly left in hot cars on a daily basis, Youtube prank channel TwinzTV uploaded their latest social experiment, placing a baby and then a dog in a parked car.

The video captures the public’s reaction to both, with surprising results.

While the baby was left to cry inside the car, the whimpering dog received more attention, with one passerby even attempting to smash open the window with his skateboard. A second passerby successfully breaks the window, after exclaiming “the dog’s still in the car?”

The result: In one hour, only one person stopped to help the baby, while three people within 20 minutes stopped to help the dog.

This summer has seen a multitude of media reports on unattended dogs and children in hot cars. Late last month, a B.C. man was caught on tape, screaming and yelling after being confronted for leaving his dog in a hot car.

Earlier in July, a Halifax man broke his knuckle after punching the back window of a car, in which two Golden Retrievers had been left for at least 20 minutes.

“Flashdance” star Jennifer Beals also made headlines last month after leaving her dog in a parked car in Vancouver.

The recent death of an unattended 10-month-old baby in Austin, Texas, has renewed concern over negligence and has sparked action in the Lone Star state.

Starting in September, a new Texas law will require hot car safety education for all parents before they leave the hospital with their newborn, reports CBS News.