Summer has arrived and pet owners need to pay attention to their pets and make sure they don’t suffer.
In some areas, law makers have taken steps to protect pets. Here is a reminder for pet owners in the Phoenix area, that trails are off-limits to pets when temperatures exceed 100 deg F.
It’s important to keep your pets healthy, since obviously they can’t do it themselves.
To make the point, various surface temperatures were taken when the outside temperature was 111 deg F on June 14 in Cathedral City, CA.
It’s HOT and it’s not the time to take your dog for a walk.
Here are some various surface temperatures:
Grass. This is the coolest surface that was tested. There was a small difference between the shaded and unshaded areas tested.
Understandably, pets need to relieve themselves, so grass is definitely the preferred place to take them.
BTW: Butter melts between 91 deg F and 95 deg F.
Concrete. Here there is a significantly higher temperature than grass. The shaded concrete was 26 degrees hotter than the shaded grass. The unshaded concrete was significantly hotter than the unshaded concrete at 136 deg F.
Dirt. Now probably most people may think that plain old dirt shouldn’t be too hot. Look again. It’s even hotter than unshaded concrete.
Asphalt. Here is the mother of hotness, asphalt. A whopping 143 deg F. Now remember that the outside temp was 111 deg F. There are days that the temperature can reach as high as 127 deg F. So the temperatures shown here will be much higher.
If you think that it is okay for your dog to run around on unshaded asphalt, then I suggest you take off your socks and run barefoot on the asphalt. See how you like it.
Eggs will cook between 144 deg F and 158 deg F.
But if you must…. Pet stores may carry doggy booties, like the type shown to the right. 
It may be necessary to make sure that they are designed to be used on hot surfaces. If your local pet store does not carry the booties, then check on-line. The cost varies, but they run anywhere from $7 to $30, depending on how fashionable you want to be.
Now for a story. About 10 years ago, a woman fell onto an asphalt surfaced parking lot in Palm Desert. Although bystanders came to her aid, the exposed area of her skin became burnt and ultimately infected. She died. End of story.
According to a story by WHNT News, channel 19 in Huntsville, Alabama:
The National Institute for Standards and Technology says human skin begins to feel pain at a temperature of 111 degrees (think hot bathwater). At 118 degrees, human skin can sustain first-degree burns; a second-degree burn injury can occur at a temperature of 131 degrees. Human skin is destroyed when temperatures reach 162 degrees.
Story credit: Pavement hot enough to cause second-degree burn injury
The point to all of this? Think about your pet. Pets love you no matter how bad you treat them, but that is no reason to neglect their care. They will love you even more when you show compassion and love. Although pets are fun to take with you, remember, comfort pets are there to love you. If you need to go to the store, leave them home. It is a misdemeanor to misrepresent your pet as a service dog. Service dogs are trained to perform certain functions. If your dog attacks a service dog and the service dog is injured or dies, you will be held responsible. Besides, why would anyone want to take a comfort dog into a grocery store where food is sold or into a restaurant where food is prepared and served. And even worse is to take your comfort dog and leave them in a car where temperatures can exceed 150 deg F. Although laws vary, if an animal is locked in a hot car and is suffering, you may come out to find your car has been broken into, the animal placed in the care of the police, and your next set of bracelets don’t match the orange jump suit you’re wearing with the words “Inmate” on the back.