[Animals] Animal shelter searches for heat relief for pets

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MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Excessive heat can cause health problems for people as well as pets. Animal shelters searched for solutions when temperatures spiked, to keep all of their animals safe and cool. “With the heat you might see excessive panting, vomiting, you might just notice them just laying and not moving a whole lot because they’re just so warm they can’t even get up the energy to walk around,” said Payton Pritzl, chief of operations at Shelter from the Storm. All of those behavioral changes are symptoms of heat stroke. Shelter from the Storm is an animal shelter in Madison that is finding new ways to keep dogs cool outside. Pritzl said that beating the heat is crucial for the safety of their animals. “Heatstroke in general is a major concern... but a lot of different just over all ‘not feeling good’ which then might contribute to their appetite and if they don’t eat a lot it just kind of downward spirals out of control,” said Pritzl.Animal Care Manager, Andrea Rosas, says that there are a few ways that they are trying to keep such a large number of dogs cool, at once. “We try and give them like pools, or maybe we have a misting fan sometimes, other times, we have what’s called cooling vests. Basically, they kind of look like a life vest, but we dip it in water and it kind of keeps them cool all day,” said Rosas. The excessive heat poses another challenge for caring for animals. While Pritzl was sitting in a blue kiddie-pool with chocolate Labrador Elanor, she mentioned that the methods they have right now are not perfect, but they get the job done. “We have misting fans out in our kennel yards just to keep the dogs cooled off as best as we can. We’re offering them pools or sources of water that they can lounge or relax in and limiting their yard time. When they go for walks, they’re going in the evenings or in the morning when it’s cooler out,” said Rosas.

https://www.wmtv15news.com/2024/08/28/animal-shelter-searches-heat-relief-pets/