Extreme Heat Safety Tips for Animals

As the weather starts to heat up, summer pet safety becomes a “hot” animal welfare issue.  The Cambridge Animal Commission wants to remind you that leaving a pet inside a parked car is the most common cause of potentially deadly heat stroke.  Even when it is 70 degrees outside, the inside of a car can heat up to more than 110 degrees within 30 minutes even if the windows are cracked.

• Leaving your pet in a hot car for even a short period of time can have dangerous consequences.
• Even with all of the windows cracked the temperature in your car’s interior can quickly rise to deadly levels.
• Pets don’t sweat the way we do – they cannot cool their bodies efficiently in hot temperatures.

Make seasonal adjustments to your daily routine to keep your pets healthy and safe in the summer heat.  Shade offers little protection on a hot day and moves with the sun.  Leave your dog at home when you know you are going to have to leave the dog in the car for any amount of time.  A five minute visit to a store can lead to a ten minute or longer visit.