me and my animals have been sweltering as well. i used to take my dog on errands with me but no more since the a/c in my car went out. consider adding ice cubes to your pets water as a refreshing way to cool off.

also, if you have a cool house and are a little lonely, consider adopting an animal from our wonderful city shelter. the staff there is great but they’re suffering through this heat wave AND a wave of abandoned animals. there are many healthy, friendly dogs and cats there who would love to keep you company during this hot summer. i had to give up 3 of my adult rescues to the shelter and the staff has been wonderful. they are a healthy animal no kill shelter. basically, they do not euthanize for space. that’s great, but it means that they get filled up quickly and are having to turn down surrenders until the ones they have are adopted. please consider adopting or even fostering. thank you!

(btw, if you go there and see a pair of “bookend” orange tabbies, give them a chance! Shodu and Wicket are adorable brothers i rescued from the streets 3 years ago and are really sweet fellas.)

Thank you for this article, wkrg! All pet owners need to pay special attention to their pets right now and make sure they have what they need to stay hydrated & cool this summer.

My pup can’t stand this heat either. She’d rather be inside next to the fan, with her owner!