KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Summer is here and temperatures are rising, scalding the ground people and pets walk on. For owners, dealing with the heat is as simple as drinking water and finding shade.
It's not the same for pets, and Young Williams Animal Center is reminding people to be careful when they take their dogs and cats out. They're urging people to avoid hot concrete during walks and to keep pets hydrated as they play in the summer sun.
They also reminded people not to leave pets locked in their cars during the summer. On a hot spring or summer day, it only takes 10 minutes for the sun to heat up a car by nearly 20 degrees. It can get dangerous for pets quickly.
"If the pavement is too hot for you to stand barefoot on it, it's too hot for your pets to stand barefoot on," said Stephanie Eastman Vozar, the center's director of development. "So we want to keep them on the grass or limit their time on the pavement."
Even if it may be fun to spend time outside, Young Williams Animal Center encouraged people to keep pets inside for longer. That way, they have less of a chance of getting injured by the heat.
