Pet Resource Center of Kansas City helping pet owners during extreme heat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Staffers with the Pet Resource Center of Kansas City are patrolling streets to ensure pet safety during extreme heat.

If you can keep dogs inside the house when temperatures are this high, you should. Ensure your pets stay hydrated and have access to fresh water and shade.

The Pet Resource Center of Kansas City can provide cooling items for pet owners who need them.

“We’re out patrolling the community, helping clients that we know have outdoor dogs, talking to them about what a heat stroke looks like, what heat exhaustion looks like, what they must have if they’re going to have their dogs outside,” said Rae Lindsey, outreach and mobile manager for the Pet Resource Center. “So a little bit of patrolling and helping people out in the community, but also checking on folks that we know have pets outside.”

Lindsey said if your pet’s heart rate is high, then they could be experiencing a heat-related illness.

For cats, panting is the most obvious sign of heat exhaustion.

“You never want to cool off a pet too quickly,” Lindsey said. “Kind of like with us, if you’re getting into a heat exhaustion state, you want to cool down slowly. Dogs pant and drool, excessive drooling, lack of being able to hold themselves up, vomiting, and diarrhea are all signs of heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion also can last 24 to 48 hours.”

During patrols, Pet Resource Center staffers stop by clients’ houses and drop off cooling supplies, including gates and kennels, to facilitate safe indoor environments and water bowls, cooling mats, and other accessories.

“We kept coming out here and making sure there was plenty of water and everything. ” Pet Resource Center Client Brenda Kirkwood said he didn’t eat but drank the water. “It’s complicated because there’s really nowhere for him to go, but just right here, there’s no shade. So that’s his hideaway.”

While on pet patrols, they also educate people on heat safety and the services they offer.
“If you’re going to go out on a walk with your pet, do it first thing in the morning or late in the evening when the sun is set, and it’s a little bit cooler,” Lindsey said. “And if your dog is outside make sure that you’re checking on them regularly to make sure that he’s not having any of those symptoms of heat exhaustion.”

If you have concerns about your pet’s well-being in the summer heat and need assistance, reach out to the pet resource center at outreach@prckc.org.