Too Hot for Spot: PETA Offers Tips on Keeping Animals Safe During the Heatwave

As Temperatures Heat Up, Keep Your Animal Companions out of Hot Cars and off Hot Paved Roads

Sydney – As scorching heatwaves are set to hit Australia, PETA is offering urgent guidelines for taking care of animal companions during hot weather. These tips can save lives – would you please share them with your readers?

When outdoor temperatures reach above 21 degrees Celsius, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to well over 37 degrees in just minutes – and asphalt temperatures can reach 60 degrees, causing pain, burns, permanent damage, and scarring on dogs’ paws after just a few minutes of contact. Locking dogs in parked cars or walking them on hot paved roads puts them at risk of deadly heatstroke. If you see a dog showing any symptoms of heatstroke – including restlessness, heavy panting, vomiting, lethargy, and lack of appetite or coordination – get them into the shade immediately and lower their body temperature by offering them water, applying a cold towel to their head and chest, or immersing them in tepid (not ice-cold) water. Then immediately call a veterinarian. Remember: when dogs’ tongues are hanging out, it means they’re uncomfortable or even in danger.

PETA also offers the following suggestions for safeguarding animals during hot weather.

• Walk dogs only in the morning and evening, and keep them indoors during peak heat hours: unlike humans, dogs can only sweat through their footpads and cool themselves by panting. Soaring temperatures can cause heat stress, injury, or death.
• Provide water and shade: when outside, animals must have access to fresh water and ample shade, and the shifting sun needs to be taken into account. Even brief periods of direct exposure to the sun can have life-threatening consequences.
• Walk – don’t run: in very hot, humid weather, never exercise dogs by making them run alongside you while you jog or cycle. Dogs will collapse before giving up, at which point, it may be too late to save them.
• Avoid hot cars: never leave an animal in a parked car in warm weather, even for short periods with the windows partially rolled down. Dogs trapped inside hot cars can succumb to heatstroke within minutes – even if a car isn’t parked in direct sunlight.
• Never transport animals in the bed of a ute: this practice is dangerous because animals can be catapulted out of a truck bed on a sudden stop or strangled if they jump out while tethered. The ute bed floor can also burn their sensitive paws.
• Stay alert and save a life: keep an eye on all companion animals who are kept outdoors. Make sure they have adequate water and shelter. If you see an animal in distress, provide them with water for immediate relief and contact humane authorities right away.
• Avoid hot paved roads: in summer, asphalt temperatures can reach 60 degrees Celsius, causing pain, burns, permanent damage, and scarring on dogs’ paws after just a few minutes of contact. Walk on grass where possible, and avoid walking in the middle of the day.
• Use a cooling vest or mat: dog-cooling equipment, such as wearable vests or bed mats, come in a range of materials and prices and help prevent overheating. Simply freeze or soak the items in cold water to keep dogs comfortable while on a walk or lounging. Placing bottles of cold water in a dog’s bed also works.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.au and follow the group on Facebook andInstagram.

Contact:

Sascha Camilli [email protected]

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