Humane Society Offers Tips for Keeping Your Pets Safe in Summer

The warm weather brings lots of challenges to pet safety. The Humane Society has responded to these challenges by offering a list of summer safety tips.For example, it's important to avoid leaving your pet trapped inside of a parked car, even if you crack the windows!

"On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85 degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows cracked open, can reach 102 degrees within just 10 minutes, and after 30 minutes the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Even when the temperature outside is a balmy 72 degrees, the temperature inside your car can rocket to a fatal 116 degrees in less than an hour."

The Humane Society also suggests walking your dogs in the early morning or the late evening. This will help you avoid the heat of the day. When temperatures soar, hot pavement can severely burn a pet's paws, so this is an important point.In addition, the Humane Society had tips on avoiding environmental hazards like pesticides and herbicides. It also warned about summer increases in parasites like fleas, ticks, and heartworm.Pets need to be factored into your disaster preparedness plans, too. Start by making sure your pets have proper identification. You may even want to consider the possibility of micro-chipping your pets.Safety concerns also extend to vacationing with your pets. While you can sometimes take pets with you and more options may be opening up for pet travel, many pets are happier and safer staying at home. If you do plan to travel, consider hiring a qualified pet sitter!