This heat can kill your pets: Take action
Weve all seen it. A parked car sitting somewhere with no humans around, and locked inside a dog. Sure, the pets owner has left the window rolled down a few inches, but thats just not sufficient. Put yourself in that dogs place.
It can be miserable for a person to be in a car when the sun is beating down, even when the car is moving and a breeze is blowing. So imagine just having to sit there and wait for someone to return and let you out.
Many people believe that dogs are tough and hardy, and being shut in a car is no big deal for them as long as the window is cracked open. Theyre wrong.
According to representatives of the Bonnie L. Hays Small Animal Shelter, which helps care for pets in the Hillsboro-Forest Grove area, dogs have it even tougher than humans when it comes to exceedingly hot temperatures. And its not just because of the fur coat they wear.
According to Deborah Wood of Washington County Animal Services, dogs in particular are in much more danger in the heat than humans are. Thats because what is merely uncomfortable for a human can be deadly for a dog. Wood pointed out that dogs dont sweat, and in general are less efficient in expelling heat from their bodies than people are.
Wood said her agency is receiving calls to help pets left in hot cars every day. She warned that with the temperatures in the 80s and 90s, cars can quickly turn into death chambers.
Local police will respond to calls about dogs left in cars, and owners who leave their pets in hot cars could face criminal charges.
Heres another issue to consider regarding your pets in the heat. Remember how hot the sand on a beach can get on a warm, sunny day? It gets so bad at times that people have to wear shoes to keep their feet from being burned. Yet many people might not think about this aspect of weather conditions when it comes to their pets. Wood advises people not to walk pets when it gets especially hot. In addition to the danger of heat stroke, hot sidewalks and asphalt can burn a pets paws.
And sometimes, people make things tougher for their pet dogs or cats even while trying to help.
Veterinarian Dr. Allison Lamb cautioned that some hot weather remedies are a bad idea.
Dont soak your dog to cool him or her down, warned Lamb. With the pets body heat, the wet fur can actually end up heating up the pet instead of cooling him off.
The best way to deal with your pets when the temperatures start climbing high is to treat them as you would treat your children. Keep them indoors and out of the hot sun. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink. Dont expect them to walk on hot surfaces in bare feet (paws).
And perhaps most important of all, never leave them locked in cars.