Summer Heat Means Using Extra Caution When Traveling with Pets

Allstate Insurance Company shares tips on how to protect your pet in the car.

The dog days of summer are upon us, but that doesn’t mean your dog, cat or other animal has to suffer if they travel with you. On an 85 degree day, it takes only ten minutes for the inside of your car to reach 102°and after a half hour, it can reach 120° – even with the windows left slightly open, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). That could mean if the only option is to leave your pet in the car, they might be safer at home.

As Allstate helps protect your auto, the company also shares some tips below from the ASPCA and The Humane Society of the United States to help protect your pet from the summer heat in the car.

First, be on the lookout for possible symptoms of overheating in your dog or cat such as:

1. Heavy panting
2. Glazed eyes
3. Rapid breathing or pulse
4. Staggering walk
5. Weakness or unsteadiness
6. Vomiting, or a deep red or purple tongue

When breathing suddenly becomes quiet with any of these symptoms, the animal may collapse. An animal affected by heat stroke can die in minutes, but proper care may save its life.

Second, learn a few possible treatment options for overheating before you ever put a pet in the car. For example,

1. Safely and immediately remove the animal from its hot environment, to a safe, shaded area, if possible.
2. Slowly cool the animal by placing it in cool, not cold, water. Reduce body heat gradually. You can place cool, wet towels over the back of the neck, in the armpits, and in the groin area. You may also wet the ear flaps and paws with cool water.
3. If possible, a breeze from the wind or a fan directed to wet areas of the animal’s body will help with cooling.
4. Take the distressed pet to a veterinarian as soon as possible. Treatment for dehydration and other serious problems may be necessary.

Third, don’t be afraid to act. If you see an animal locked in a car on a hot day, you should:

1. Try to locate the owner as quickly as possible. If the car is parked at a store, take down the car’s make, model and license plate number, then ask a store employee to page the owner.
2. If the owner cannot be found quickly, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control and wait by the car for them to arrive.

You can be prepared in advance by gathering the essential telephone numbers and have them on hand. You’ll want to have your local animal control agency’s number and the police department’s non-emergency number so you can quickly report the situation. Keep these numbers in your purse, your car’s glove compartment or programmed into your phone.

In many cities, there are laws against leaving pets in hot cars so look up what your local area laws are so you can help, if needed. The Humane Society reminds us that leaving pets locked in cars is never safe. But when the weather gets warmer, it can be deadly.

For More information and a new quote please call Shirley Eizember, Pinckney Insurance Agency, 41 Port Watson St, Cortland New York. 607-756-8505

The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation’s largest publicly held personal lines insurer known for its “You’re In Good Hands With Allstate®” slogan. Now celebrating its 80th anniversary as an insurer, Allstate is reinventing protection and retirement to help nearly 16 million households insure what they have today and better prepare for tomorrow. Consumers access Allstate insurance products (auto, home, life and retirement) and services through Allstate agencies, independent agencies, and Allstate exclusive financial representatives in the U.S. and Canada, as well as via www.allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate®.

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