Hot Weather Pet Safety Tips:

• Humidity, if it affects you then it affects your pet
• Keep exercise to the cooler hours of the day & for shorter durations
• Always provide fresh water and proper shade when your pet is outside
• Make a plan for power/air conditioning outages

Click to read more on this topic from The Humane Society

Never leave a pet in a parked car.

Ohio law 959.133 protects good Samaritans from liability if they damage a car to help an animal in distress. There are parameters the concerned person needs to follow, such as:

• has a reasonable belief the animal is in imminent danger
• attempts to contact 911 before entering the vehicle, if that is not possible, the person must contact authorities immediately after retrieving the animal
• must not cause more damage to the car than necessary
• must leave their contact information on the windshield
• must stay with the animal

​For more on this law, visit nbc4i.com

Symptoms Of Hyperthermia or Overheating In A Dog :

• excessive breathing or labored breathing
• extreme salivation then dry gums
• discolored/gray/blue mouth
• vomiting/diarrhea
• lethargy
• seizures

Are there dogs more susceptible to overheating than usual? Yes!

• Brachycephalic or flat-faced dogs such as pugs & boxers
• Elderly dogs
• Dogs with infections or chronic illness
• Muzzled dogs
• Dogs crated in a warm area/room with insufficient air flow

What should I do if I think my dog is overheated?

This is a medical emergency and you should start making your way to your veterinarian or local pet emergency hospital.

Until you & your pet reach trained medical help you can:

• move the dog to a cooler area
• apply cool (not cold) water spray or cloths to the dog

To learn more, visit these pages:

akc.org or vcahospitals.com