Pet owners try to help furry friends during Alberta heat wave

With most of Alberta under a heat warning, the temperatures can get dangerous for not just us, but our furry friends too. Some dog owners are finding ways to keep cool during the heatwave.

Many pets and their owners are enjoying the dog days of summer and keeping cool in the North Saskatchewan River.

“Air conditioning at home, and he gets to go in the river. He loves chasing rocks and balls in the river,” said one Edmontonian.

“Just a quick walk down to the river for a quick dip then back home to some air conditioning.”

“We’re bringing the dogs down [to the river] every morning to let them run around for about an hour so they can get cooled off and stay wet for the rest of the day.”

It was a blistering 32 degrees in Edmonton at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. But the sidewalk along Gateway Boulevard was even hotter, recording 44.3 degrees. Meanwhile in a car, the dash is recording a dangerous 69.8 degrees Celsius. Edmonton’s Animal Care and Control says these temperatures can be deadly for pets.

Animal Control says they’ve had 47 calls about dogs left in hot cars since May, including one as recent as Tuesday. Saying the temperature in your car can lead to heat stroke, organ damage or even death in a matter of minutes for your pets.

They recommend exercising your dogs during cooler times of the day, making sure they are hydrated and remind pet owners to be wary of walking them on pavement and sand as it can burn your dog’s pads.

“We don’t go for as long of walks as we used to, we don’t go in the afternoon anymore. We try to keep him inside even though he wants to be outside, we keep him in where the air conditioning is,” said an Edmontonian.

For more safety tips, visit the City of Edmonton website.