Never take a dog for a ride in the summer and leave it in a parked car, the Humane Society of Utah advises.
When the temperature outside is only 78 degrees, the interior of a car can reach 110 degrees in 25 minutes — even in the shade and with the windows partially open, says society executive director Gene Baierschmidt.
The society offers the following tips in taking care of animals during the warm weather:
Make sure they have fresh, clean, cool water available at all times, whether they're indoors or outdoors.
If the animal is outside during the day, make sure it has a comfortable, well-ventilated, well-shaded place to rest.
Don't take a pet for a walk or try to exercise it during the heat of the day. Start early in the morning or wait until evening.
Heatstroke can develop rapidly in animals. And permanent damage or death can result. Those animals most vulnerable to heatstroke include puppies, kittens and older animals, animals recently moved from cooler climates, breeds with short or pushed-in noses or pets who have been clipped recently, Baierschmidt said.