‘Paws Off the Pavement’ keeps pet friends safe

Although La Niña weather brought rain and cooler temperatures to Hays County in June and July, pets, with their fur covered bodies and inability to cool down quickly, will suffer heat stroke if owners aren’t careful. Last week, the Hays County Pet Resource Center launched an area-wide heat safety campaign, “Paws Off the Pavement,” so humans know how to protect their four-legged friends.

Pet owners might be surprised to know that when the mercury reads 95 degrees and higher, they should limit what their dogs do outdoors, according to the Hays PRC. That means no runs, walks or outings to the farmers market. When it is “90 to 95 degrees outdoors, you may walk your dog but stay in the shade. Short runs are acceptable at 85 to 90 degrees, but make sure your pets have plenty of water to drink.”

They warn humans that “dogs are ten times more likely to die of heatstroke than are people. The signs to watch for are red eyes, tongues that hang far out of their mouth, skin that feels hot to the touch and lethargy.”

Earlier this month, Wimberley Emergency Medical Services helped revive a French Bulldog stricken with severe heatstroke while they located an after-hours veterinarian for the owner. Emily Woodard shared on the Wimberley Community Fo- rum page of Facebook that she came home from work to find that her dog had been accidentally locked out for about an hour without access to water. “The heat grabbed her that fast,” she wrote in the post. EMS paramedics put the dog in the shower and brought ice packs to stabilize Moo until she could reach the veterinarian. Woodard wrote that “Moo is home and getting better.”

If your dog exhibits signs of heat stroke, stop all activity immediately. Walk or carry him or her to a cool, well-ventilated area, and settle in front of a fan or air conditioning vent. Spray or sponge the dog with cool —not cold or iced— water on the ears and underside and get them to a vet immediately.

In a 2024 American Kennel Club Article by Harriet Meyers, she writes that the most common cause of heatstroke in dogs is confinement in a closed vehicle and warns that dogs should never be left in the car. “Some dogs,” she writes, “are more prone to heatstroke, like Pugs, Bulldogs, thick-coated or dark-coated dogs, very young, overweight, elderly dogs and dogs with respiratory or cardiac issues.”

While Texas does not have a law prohibiting animals in parked vehicles, many local ordinances prohibit it. Cleburne, for example, prohibits animals left in cars in temperatures below 35 degrees or above 80 degrees.

Rebecca F. Wisch of the Animal Legal and Historical Center wrote in 2024, “Even without a state or local law, this action could still constitute cruelty under some circumstances. In fact, in the Texas case of Lopez v. State, the defendant left his dog in his car on a hot day to watch a movie in a theater. He was ultimately convicted under the state’s anti-cruelty law. Notably, Texas does not have a statute that specifically addresses dogs left in parked vehicles.”

Summer heat compounds the issues of overcrowding in area shelters. “The San Marcos Regional Animal Shelter currently has more than 20 pets in outdoor pop-up crates and more than 30 animals are sharing kennels. Although the shelter has accommodations to keep the outdoor area climate-controlled, a home is a better option to keep dogs out of the stressful shelter environment and cool during the summer,” said Reyna Caraveo, Hays County Pet Resource Center Marketing Communications Manager. She urged citizens to help SMRAS get shelter pets into homes by applying to be a foster or by adopting.

Interested adopters and fosters are highly encouraged to visit the shelter or view available dogs online, especially the most at-risk dogs in need of homes, at sanmarcostx. gov/4423/At-Risk-List.