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PRESS RELEASE
RELEASE DATE: Immediately (July 14, 2006)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Gene Baierschmidt
(801) 261-2919

SUMMER COMES IN WITH A VENGEANCE - PROTECT PETS FROM HEAT

With temperatures in the Salt Lake valley heading for scorching levels above 100° today and this weekend, the Humane Society of Utah is reminding all pet owners that their furry friends will be feeling fried, too - maybe even worse than people. (They can't take off their fur coats and exchange them for a nice tank top and a pair of shorts!) HSU Executive Director Gene Baierschmidt is urging the public to keep in mind the following pet-care tips for hot weather:

• Never, NEVER take your dog riding with you and leave him in a parked car while you run an errand. When the temperature outside is only 78°, the interior of a car will reach 110° in 25 minutes even in the shade and with the windows partially open.

• Make sure a pet has fresh, clean, cool water available at all times, whether he's indoors or out.

• If the animal is outside during the day, make sure he has a comfortable, well-ventilated, WELL-SHADED place to rest.

• Don't take a pet for a walk or try to exercise him during the heat of the day; start early in the morning or wait until evening.

"Heatstroke can develop rapidly in animals, and permanent damage - and death - can be the result," said Mr. Baierschmidt. He added that puppies and kittens and older animals, animals recently moved from cooler climates, breeds with short or pushed-in noses (like pug dogs and Persian cats), pets who have been clipped recently, easily excited pets, and animals with a prior history of heat-related stress are most vulnerable to heatstroke.

For more information on hot-weather pet care tips, please call the Humane Society at 261-2919.

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