The Union-Recorder
MILLEDGEVILLE —
This past Saturday afternoon, Aug. 7, as I was going into Tractor Supply, I noticed a very hot dog in a white Toyota SUV. Yes, the windows were part way down but the heat index was around 104 degrees.
The dog was so hot he (or she) was foaming at the mouth. As I completed my purchase I noticed a man previously in Tractor Supply going toward the car. I asked the cashier how long the man had been in the store and she said “for a pretty good while.” I told her about the dog and that I had planned to have the dog’s owner paged so that I could tell him about the dog.
Pet owners need to remember that a dog’s normal body temperature is several degrees higher than a human’s. So if it’s hot to us, it’s likely even hotter to our dogs.
I don’t know why people continue to leave pets in vehicles on hot — or even warm — days. The harmful effects of this practice has been well publicized. Last summer while at Lowe’s I got water from the garden department to give to three overheated dogs in the back of a truck. At least the dog in the Toyota was out of the sun.
Pet owners, loving your dog enough to take him with you on trips is great. It is even better to love him enough to leave him at home in the air conditioning on sweltering days, not in your vehicle while you shop or run errands!
Steve Avant
Milledgeville
