“Black Panther” Star Danai Gurira Teams with PETA for Campaign Reminding People Not to Leave Dogs in Hot Cars (Exclusive)

The star says her own dog, a rescue named Papi, is "family" and she "would do anything to save him"

Black Panther star Danai Gurira is teaming up with PETA for a new campaign reminding people never to leave their dogs in hot cars.

The copy on the ad says, “If you love them, don’t leave them. Hot cars are fatal for dogs!” and shows Gurira in a scene that is inspired by her character Michonne, the relentless sword-yielding warrior she played on the hit AMC series The Walking Dead,

“I would never risk Papi’s life by leaving him alone in a car,” Gurira, 45, exclusively told PEOPLE.

“He’s family. If he were in trouble, I would do anything to save him. My friends at PETA and I are urging everyone to be a warrior for animals. If you see a dog alone in a parked car, do whatever it takes to save them,” the award-winning actress said.

Moira Colley, a director for PETA, explained the feeling behind the ad, saying  “it was important to Danai that she look focused and fierce because she wants people to act if they see a dog in danger.”

“Every year it seems that people need to be reminded that dogs suffer and die when left in hot cars," Colley said in a statement to PEOPLE. "These deaths are agonizing but entirely preventable—guardians must remember never to leave animals in parked cars."

She urges that anyone who sees a dog or a child in a parked car should never leave the scene and should take immediate action and call 911, write down the vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate number, then rush to have nearby stores page the owner.

PETA said they tracked 149 hot weather-related deaths of dogs and cats across the country this year. The organization says that surpasses the 57 heat-related death reports last year or any other year on record. They also pointed out that the actual number of dogs and cats who have died from extreme heat in 2023 is likely much higher, as most cases go unreported.

Related: 11-Month-Old Baby Girl and Dog Die in Virginia After Being Left in Hot Car for 6 Hours

Dogs can’t cool themselves by sweating as humans can — their only relief from overheating is by panting — which isn’t effective when they’re trapped in a car with only hot air to breathe — so that’s why dogs should never be left in parked cars for any amount of time, according to PETA.

"Mild weather can be misleading — the temperature outside might be a lovely 70 degrees, but the temperature inside a parked car can soar to 99 degrees in 20 minutes. And on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 109 degrees in just 10 minutes," Colley said.

Gurira, who was styled by Wayman + Micah for the shoot, joins other celebrities who have appeared in PETA ads reminding people not to leave dogs in hot cars, including Simon Cowell, McKenna Grace, Krysten Ritter and Laura Bell Bundy.

Gurira has talked about the strong bond she and Papi have with each other. The star told Women’s Health that one of the ways she stays fit is by jogging and Papi runs by her side.

Related: Celebrities with Rescue Pets

The Tony-nominated playwright has also revealed that Papi wasn’t her dog’s original name. It was Pierre, but Gurira didn’t think that fit her feisty dog’s demeanor.

“My rescue dog was named Pierre,” she told Oprah.com, “but I started calling him Papi after I saw how commanding he is around bigger dogs. I sometimes imagine he was the head of a drug cartel in a former life, and I'm just his cover.”

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