Dog owners urged to be mindful of heat’s effect on their pets

By Guest Columnist Ingrid Newkirk

I was driving when I spotted a man walking his dogs. The old dog was lagging behind, his tongue lolling out and his movements slow, and as a humane officer who has seen it before, I knew he was in a quietly life-threatening condition. 
 

I stopped and urged the man to let me drive them to the vet. 
 

He responded, “He’s OK; he’s just been running in the dog park.” 
 

I insisted. 

The vet’s assistant spotted an emergency the moment we came through the door and rushed us inside, but it was too late. Despite the best efforts, the old dog died of heatstroke.
 

I often see people walking their dogs in the heat, seemingly oblivious to the first signs of trouble. They think that a lolling tongue and panting are “just a dog being a dog.” They don’t realize that, unlike humans, dogs have no ability to sweat and are trapped in what is essentially a sausage casing, having to rely on panting to try to shed the heat building up in their bodies. And, when the temperature soars, as with the current heat dome, ridding themselves of excess heat becomes impossible. Their internal temperature rises until they suffer from heatstroke.
 

When I politely approach someone who isn’t paying attention, many say something like, “Thanks, but she’s OK. I’ve got water in my backpack”—as if it does the dog any good there. That water needs to be on and in the dog, and the dog needs to be walked off the searing hot pavement, onto grass and into shade.
 

With heat advisories in effect across the country, cars are not the only dangers dogs face. Please walk them only early in the morning or late in the evening. Stay on the grass, take water breaks and be hypervigilant for signs of distress. Your dog’s life may depend on it.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Newkirk currently serves as the president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.