KILLEEN, Texas — Pets in Central Texas are suffering from the high heat this summer, and making sure that they have water and shade outside might not be enough.
In cities like Killeen, it is against ordiances to just leave a dog chained up in the yard — owners are required to provide them with clean drinking water and adequate shelter.
”Adequate shelter means it has three sides, a floor, and a roof. It's big enough for your animal to go into, turn around, lay down, and be comfortable,” said Director of Animal Services with the City of Killeen, Jessica Green.
“It can at least get it out of the heat, or rain, or if it’s too cold.”
Failure to comply with the ordinances could result in severe penalties.
”We like to go out and educate them first and give them an opportunity to fix the situation,” Green said.
“We will do a follow up and come back out and check. If that hasn’t been done, we will proceed with writing citations. If it continues, we will go out and get a warrant to come take your animal.”
Even with following the rules, it might not be enough to keep local four-legged family members safe in the heat.
”Their bodies are reaching really high temperatures to the point where their cells are all becoming affected,” said Emergency and Critical Care Veterinarian with Texas A&M University, Dr. Gabriela Rivas.
We're seeing a lot of really serious complications, and this is happening because they aren’t able to sweat the same way that humans can — they actually can’t cool down.”
Severe heat injuries can happen to an animal without their owner knowing, and sometimes before it's too late.
”These effects can sometimes take even a day or two to see how severely our pets are impacted,” Dr. Rivas said.
This is why it’s important to look for any signs of heat stroke or exhaustion, like panting that doesn’t stop, or a change in behavior.
”They might get a little bit quiet,” Dr. Rivas said.
“Some dogs will actually develop vomiting and diarrhea, and some dogs unfortunately go into seizure-like activity — maybe they collapse suddenly. Those would be the big ones to look for.”
Simply following city ordinances isn’t enough to keep pets safe in the summer heat.
It's important to remember that if humans are struggling in this heat, then animals are too.
If there seems to be something wrong with your pet, take them to a vet as soon as possible.
