Pet owners advised to keep their furry friends in cool areas during the heat

ANIMAL Welfare Society SA is urging owners of pets to take good care of their furry friends by keeping them away from hot surfaces and provide them with adequate, clean drinking water.

This comes after what is believed to be a heat wave in most parts of the country and could lead to animal severity and deaths.

Animal Welfare Society spokesperson Allan Perrins said that dogs and cats don’t sweat like humans and can suffer heatstroke far more easily.

Therefore owners should avoid going for walks with dogs, especially during the day as surfaces will be extremely hot and not safe for dogs. He also discouraged driving with dogs in cars.

‘’We had almost like a heat wave in the country recently, therefore we want to inform and remind people to think for their pets and avoid exposing them to the heat. Always make sure your pet has access to adequate, clean drinking water. When folks go for walks with dogs, they should then do that either in the early morning or late afternoon when the weather had cooled off,’’ he said.

Popculture Doggy Daycare, a community-based centre providing a safe, well balanced and stimulating environment for dogs, also encouraged dog owners to make sure that dogs have adequate shelter from the heat during this season.

Popculture owner Verushka Pillay said ‘’a super fun way to keep dogs cool is to also fill up a plastic shell sand pit with water and let them splash about“.

“My biggest pet peeve is seeing dogs being walked or left outside without any shelter at peak times when the sun is at its worst.’’

The Welfare Society offered some handy tips on keeping your furry friends cool in the heat, such as checking ground temperatures before walking pets, never walk your pets if temperatures go above 30ºC and offering multiple ways for them to cool down.

‘’Folks should remember that we as people have the luxury to walk in shoes, hide indoors, use umbrellas, anything we can do to protect ourselves from the heat, but what about our animals? During these times, they should invest in kennels for proper shelter for their dogs,’’ Perrins added.

Weekend Argus