Keep your dog cool! In Utah, it can be freezing and raining in the morning and then heat up in the afternoon, making your car, yard, or patio, a dangerous place for your pet. A good rule of thumb is once it’s over 55 degrees outside, it’s too hot to leave your dog in your car.
Hot Weather Do’s & Don’t to Keep Your Dog Safe
Hot Cars: Once outside temperatures reach 70-degrees, temperatures in a car can exceed 116-degrees within 10 minutes. Even on a mild 75-degree day, cracking a window in your car or parking in the shade doesn’t make a difference. Temperatures inside the vehicle are deadly. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke, irreparable brain damage, or even death.
If you see a pet inside a vehicle, excessively panting, non-responsive, drooling, or listless, call Salt Lake County Animal Service’s Dispatch number immediately: 801-840-4000. Never break a window of a vehicle on your own to pull out a pet, you could be liable for damages. Take a photo of the pet, the license plate, and give that information to Animal Control Officers.
Hot Pavement: Dogs can burn their paws on the sidewalk in the summer. When in doubt test the surface yourself: place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you CAN’T stand the heat for FIVE seconds, it’s too hot for you to walk your dog. Walk your dog early in the morning, later in the evening, and leave them at home when heading to festivals or farmer’s markets.
Hot Balconies: Despite being covered, a balcony can get very hot, VERY fast. A dog left on a balcony may try to escape and injure themselves when they’re left alone and hot. A bowl of water is easily overturned, and the pet is left anxious, dehydrated, and in similar conditions as a hot car. If you see or hear a pet on a balcony that’s in distress call Animal Control: 801-840-4000.
For additional information please email animalcontrol@slco.org.
Thank you to Salt Lake County Animal Services for contributing article content.
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Dogs Are Too Cool For Hot Cars
