It’s that time of year again. The weather is hot and people are spending more time outside. This raises additional issues for people with animals. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are traveling with, or even just keeping animals outside in these temperatures.

When you are leaving your animals outdoors make sure they have shelter. Not just dogs and cats, but livestock also. They need a place to get out of the summer sun and cool down. Many breeds of domestic animals are prone to sunburns the same as their human counterparts. Should we get the rains that we need so desperately, shelter is also important for the health and safety of your animals.

Make sure that your animals always have access to fresh water. It is essential that they are not forced to stay in this hot weather where they can dehydrate quickly. Many of our animal companions cannot sweat to lower their body temperature. Dogs are forced to pant to cool by evaporative cooling. This also uses a lot of water in warm weather.

One of the most common issues that occur at this time of year is caused when traveling with pets. No animal should ever be locked in a vehicle in summer months. Temperatures rise inside the vehicle very fast and can rapidly cause severe health problems or even death.

Studies have shown that average temperatures in a parked car rise by 22 degrees in only three minutes. The dash and steering wheel quickly climb to 192 degrees. To put this in perspective, that is hot enough to grill a chicken or cook a hamburger.

While many of these tips are often looked at as common sense, there are numerous problems every year with people not doing these simple things. While many of these issues cause severe consequences for the animal, many can also result in fines and citations. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe takes animal welfare very seriously.

We hope this article has been helpful. If you would like more information or have any questions you can contact the Southern Ute Tribal Animal Control Office. They can be reached at 970-563-0133. If they are out on a call, leave your information and they will be happy to contact you. If you see a situation that causes concern for an animal’s welfare you may also call Southern Ute Dispatch. They can be reached at 970-563-4401, and they will have the first available officer respond and get in touch with you. Have a great and safe summer!