Editor:

My husband and I were recent visitors to your beautiful town where we were fortunate enough to stay for nearly a week enjoying the community, the beautiful sites, and the friendly people. One afternoon on a trip to a local grocery story in 90-plus degree weather, we noticed a beautiful dog that had been left in a vehicle with just the windows cracked. We waited for the owner to return to the car for approximately 10 minutes. When the owner failed to return in that amount of time and because we had no idea how long the dog had been in the car when we arrived in the parking lot, we made a telephone call to the local police. We were amazed when they told us that because the windows were cracked, the dog was not in danger and there was nothing they could do!

An animal locked in a car during hot weather, even with the windows cracked, is in great danger! At 78 degrees, a car parked in the shade can reach 90 degrees, and one parked in the sun can soar to 160 degrees! Imagine the danger the dog was in when the temperature was well above 90!

I hope that anyone with a pet will heed the following hot weather tips for animal safety. It only takes a little forethought and consideration to keep your pets healthy and safe in the scorching summer weather. Overexposure can cause dehydration, sunburn, stroke and death, so…

1. Give pets plenty of fresh water and good shade if they must be outdoors. Remember, beds of pick-up trucks and hot asphalt can cause pad burns.

2. Avoid excessive exercise in extremely hot weather.

3. Remember that cats and dogs can’t sweat like humans, so panting is their only way to cool down. Older and very young pets, pets with health problems and pets with short muzzles such as Persian cats and Pug dogs are at higher risk. Dogs carrying toys can be at risk because their panting is hindered.

4. Never leave a pet in a car on a hot day, even with the windows cracked. Death from heatstroke can occur in minutes!

5. Do not leave your pet in a car with the air conditioner running. Many modern cars with computerized systems will shut off the air compressor and start blowing hot air into an already hot car if the engine overheats.

6. Rapid panting, bright red tongue, thick, sticky saliva, bright red or pale blue/gray gum color, weakness, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea are all signs of heat stroke.

7. If your pet shows any of the symptoms in No. 6, get it into the shade or house immediately and offer it water to drink. Apply cold towels or ice packs to the head, neck and chest or immerse the animal in lukewarm (not cold) water.

8. Leave your pet at home when running errands. If it’s too hot for you to stay inside the car without air conditioning, it is too hot for an animal.

9. Be a watchdog for other pets. If you see a pet in distress, get the model, color and license number of the car and page the owner in a store. In most towns, you should be able to contact the local authorities for assistance. If help is too slow and the animal is in imminent danger, get witnesses who will confirm your assessment. Take steps to remove the animal and wait for authorities. Also keep an eye on chained animals. If one is in distress, try to provide water and call for help.

Following these simple tips could prevent a tragedy.

Paula Whitaker Whisenant

Fayetteville, Tenn.