Shelters, pet owners trying to keep animals safe in extreme heat

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The heat wave can be dangerous not only for people, but also for pets.

“This week has been the toughest week we’ve had since taking over the shelter in August 2020,” says Ray Anderson, community engagement manager for Cincinnati Animal Care.

Anderson says their dog population is more than double the shelter’s capacity.

The shelter is no-kill and is required by county law to take in all strays that are abandoned or lost.

“The great thing about Adopting County Animal Shelter is that we’re the only place that welcomes all lost pets in Hamilton County,” says Anderson. “So if you adopt us, you support this mission.”

In hot weather, they cannot rely on fans to keep animals cool because fans can spread disease. They also cannot overload the kennels as this can also be unhealthy.

Air conditioning is being installed in the garage part of the shelter so that these animals can stay cooler longer.

The shelter is encouraging adoption by waiving adoption fees until at least Friday and if you can’t adopt, adopting pets is also a big help.

“We always say that even if you work eight or nine hours, [a dog] in a crate at your house or in a crate at your place is better than 23.5 hours in the kennel here,” says Anderson, “if you work, if you travel, we can accommodate your schedule.

The shelter also uses volunteer dog walkers to get dogs out of cages. But even that can be difficult in this kind of weather. Remember that pavement temperature can be much higher than air temperature. A dog’s pads on his feet will get even hotter during a walk.

Common signs of heat exhaustion in a dog are a bright red tongue, excessive panting, vomiting, diarrhea, and disorientation.

“You just want to bring them inside in the air conditioning,” says Amanda Taylor, medical director of Cincinnati Animal Care, “Don’t try to spray them with water. cool too quickly.

If you have a dog outside, you need to bring him inside until that heat wave hits. Taylor says even dogs that live outdoors year-round struggle in this heat.

If you are interested in adoption, fostering or volunteering at the shelter, you can find more information here.

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