A couple of months ago I told you about a Labrador named Tucker. The dog’s owners had left him locked in their vehicle on a scorching summer day while they went shopping for two hours. Tucker died shortly after authorities broke into the vehicle to help him. Sadly this has not been the only case this summer where an animal has died from heat exposure after being locked in a car. Now an ad agency in Toronto has created a high-tech collar that it hopes will help alert owners to pets in distress. [caption id="attachment_12937" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Dog Caller (photo: courtesy of Rethink)[/caption] Aaron Starkman, a partner and creative director with Rethink Canada – and a dog owner himself – initiated the development of the Dog Caller. When your dog wears it, you receive a text message if the collar reaches 26° Celsius. Earlier this summer Starkman left his dog in the car while he ducked into a store for a quick purchase. A long lineup kept him gone for 20 minutes. When he returned to his car he found his dog, Hefty, stressed by the heat. Starkman told the Toronto Star: “I was almost one of those awful people you read about. Nobody knows it’s just a matter of minutes.” [caption id="attachment_12935" align="aligncenter" width="300"] You'll receive a text message when the collar gets too hot (photo: courtesy of Rethink).[/caption] Having your dog wear the collar doesn’t mean you should be leaving him in a car on a hot day. (You shouldn't.) It’s there for peace of mind, even say when Fido is just running around the backyard. The Dog Caller is still in the prototype phrase, but Rethink – in conjunction with the Toronto Humane Society – hopes to bring it to market next year. The expected price is $20.