With more than 100 dogs under its roof, the walks at the Lehigh Valley Humane Society don’t stop, even in hot weather.
Sally, a grey bulldog, is the 14th dog staff member Alex Valentin has taken for a stroll on his shift.
“We just got to take the dogs out for five minutes at most, and then that’s it,” said Valentin.
But when the mercury spikes, the dog walking routine changes.
“We are keeping dogs inside during the hottest hours of the day, so we are walking them as early in the morning as we can,” said Jackie Folsome, Chief Development Officer at the Lehigh Valley Humane Society. “We are inviting volunteers to come in an hour early to walk dogs before it gets too hot after 12.”
Folsom says it’s a guideline every pet owner should follow.
Folsom says we need to make sure our pets have lots of fresh clean water.
And when they are outdoors, plenty of shade.
Watch out for hot pavement. If you can’t hold the back of your hand against it for 7 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.
Finally, keep an eye out for excessive panting, especially with short nosed breeds, it could be a sign of overheating.
If you suspect your pet is having a heat emergency call your vet immediately.
Because of the heat, bath time at the Humane Society is a little longer…and kiddie pools line the walk path.
Not that Sally cares, she’s just in it for the sniffs and the steps.
Experts say you should never leave a pet unattended around pools, and be careful that they don’t drink pool water.
One final thing, it’s kitten season here at the Humane Society, they are asking for wet food donations.