An important consideration for pet owners
Warning! This is a rant.
I was at a building supply store today and saw something quite upsetting. It was a bright and hot, 95°F afternoon here in sunny Florida.
There was this guy leaving the store who encountered a friend and stopped to talk. He had a dog on a leash and stopped right there on the pavement to chat. The little dog was moving back and forth while the man chatted away, oblivious to the dog’s discomfort.
He finished his chat, said his goodbyes and continued on toward his car. The poor little dog looked like a Tennessee Walking horse and he raised his paws in the air trying to get a bit of relief. Mr. Man was still clueless.
They were walking by a curb surrounding a mulched area and the dog pulled at its leash and scampered onto the cooler mulch. I hear the guy asking the dog what his thought he was doing and that they needed to get out to the car.
As luck would have it, I had been doing a bit of research on the temperature differences between air and pavement the day before after seeing a dog jumping around excitedly when its’ owner stopped on the hot, dry sand at the beach, so I was acutely aware of the dog’s predicament.
That pavement would have been somewhere north of 130°F+, more than hot enough to burn the animal’s feet.
Since the dog couldn’t literally answer the man, I answered for it. “It’s trying to get off that hot pavement” I said.
He answered, “Aw, he’s got his shoes on,” referring to the dog’s footpads.
“No, he’s doesn’t, I responded, “It’s burning his feet!”
Without further ado, he pulled the dog off the cooler mulch area and continued to his car. The pup was high-stepping all the way.
I felt so bad for that dog. I don’t even have a dog but know enough to understand how hurtful hot surfaces can get when the sun is bearing down.
I see people all the time taking their pet along for walks down paved sidewalks during the heat of the day, never considering how much hotter it must be just a few inches from the scalding pavement and dressed in fur to add to the discomfort.
So, I came home, pulled up my WA dashboard, searched for a fitting URL and have decided, while it may not be profitable, I have to do something to raise the awareness of pet owners with regard to this situation.
I’m having cards printed to hand out to pet owners describing the temperatures their fur friends are having to endure. I'm not trying to be critical or condeming, just want to raise folks awareness of a hurtful situation.
I plan to build a website with the URL https:YourPetsFeet.com (HotFoot and HotToTrot were taken) to give folks a place to go and become a bit more aware of their pet’s plight and ask that they share that awareness with others.
A good rule of thumb is, if you find something uncomfortable to the touch, your pet probably does too!
Well, that’s my rant and thanks for listening. I’m off to start building a web page but please do me and your fur buddy a favor first. Remember this rant when you take them out for a walk and tell a friend about it too.
KC
Recent Comments
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Its a great idea to raise more awareness. Last year with a very hot summer here in the UK a lot of people were raising awareness of this problem. The newspapers, posts on facebook etc, pet charities. Despite all this there are still ignorant people who claim to be animal lovers that leave dogs locked in hot cars and tied up on hot pavements.
It certainly happens more often that it should, especially here where the hot temperatures are the norm. I suppose there's a misconception, as in this particular case, that the owner thinks animals are built to take it.
The logic seems to be that dogs have been around for thousands of years and made it this far. What they seem to forget is that pavements haven't been around that long nor have people been leading dogs around on leashes across those hot pavements.
Dogs manage the situation fairly well as long as they are free to choose where they walk and not being forced to trudge across hot surfaces.
Thank you for standing up for pets! So many people seem oblivious to issues like this.
I would be happy to link to your site when you have it up. My site is about cat health and behavior primarily but some topics include dogs too. Many of the supplements I review are made for both cats and dogs.
I will be interviewing a veterinary cardiologist soon which should lend a great deal of credibility to my site.
Jessica
Thank you so much. I just started the site tonight and will let you know when I get it up and running properly. I would be honored if you linked to it, assuming it meets your expectations.
The funny thing is that I don't even own a dog! I've got two spoiled cats that live indoors full time. I love to visit your site and possibly link to it as well.
Cheers and talk to you again soon.
The days are getting hotter, and sometimes folks don't think, the same goes for leaving pets in vehicles unattended in the sweltering heat.
Best wishes for your website, Kc, it will make people aware and create a port of call.
The police in our area a very good about dealing with animals left in cars. Do that is a good way to come back to a window forcefully removed and the pet replaced with a citation.
I don't necessarily think animals have rights, but I do adamantly believe that we, as superior lifeforms, have a responsibility to treat them humanely and with respect.
I agree, I think it's just a matter of raising awareness because most people dearly love their pet and wouldn't do anything to harm them. The guy I encountered today was completely oblivious to his dog's suffering. Now he has no excuse.
Good for you! You are writing about a topic so close to my heart. I love dogs and have 14. The other day, I walked past someone walking her dog in our hot tropical temperature (32 deg Celsius), the dog had a muzzle on, lay down and refused to move. The dog obviously was overheating without the ability to cook down by panting. I didn’t stop and the image and predicament of the poor dog tormented me for days... . Everyone with a sensitivity to and awareness of animals should do our part! Kudos to you for writing about this.
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That poor little dog, in the control of someone so uncaring. Not taking the time to consider a pet's needs particularly in extreme circumstances such as you saw is abhorrent.
I have a website about a small breed of dog and would be happy to include a link to your new site.
Valerie
Thanks. Linking would be wonderful. I'll let you know when I get the site up and going in the next couple of days.
I think it's more of a case of people just not thinking. Many pet owners don't seem to know much about the animal they are taking care of beyond being cute and fuzzy.
Thanks for the response
You're welcome, KC.
Thank you.