FORECAST: Hot In The Poor Places Tonight

INQUIRER: Highs are expected to hit the mid-90s both days, just shy of the records – 99 and 100 – for those dates. The nights will be sultry, and temperatures may not drop below 70 until at least Wednesday, forecasters said. Such conditions can be hazardous, especially to elderly people who live alone in heat-trapping brick rowhouses, and can bump up heat-related fatalities.

PETA: With temperatures and humidity expected to soar in the Philadelphia area, PETA is offering lifesaving tips on caring for dogs. Please share the following vital information with area-residents:

· Keep dogs inside. Unlike humans, dogs can only sweat through their footpads and cool themselves by panting. Soaring temperatures can cause heat stress, injury, and death. Your dog’s brain will be fried.
· Water and shade. If you have to leave your dog outside, be sure to supply ample water and shade, and don’t forget to take into account the shifting of the sun. Even brief periods of direct exposure to the sun during a heat wave can have life-threatening consequences.
· Walk, don’t run. In very hot and humid weather, never exercise dogs by cycling while they try to keep up or running them while you jog. Dogs will collapse before giving up, at which point it may be too late to save them. They can quickly become severely overheated, and an “exercise” session can turn into a medical emergency.
· Avoid parked cars. Never leave a dog in a parked car in warm weather, even with the windows slightly open or just for short periods. At this week’s expected temperatures, dogs trapped inside parked cars can succumb to heatstroke within minutes–even if the car isn’t parked in direct sunlight.
· Hot pavement. Dogs’ pads easily burn on heated asphalt, pavement, and sand. Test the road surface with your hand before walking a dog during sunlit hours.
· Pickups. Never transport dogs in the bed of a pickup truck. This practice is dangerous–and illegal in many states and locales–because animals can catapult out of the truck bed on a sudden stop or choke if they jump out while tied up. Hot weather adds the risk of burned feet and bellies from the hot truck bed.
· Stay alert and save a life. Keep an eye on all outdoor dogs. Make sure that they have adequate water and shelter. If you see a dog in distress, contact humane authorities right away and give the dog immediate relief by providing water.

“When in doubt, don’t leave your dogs out,” says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “When heat waves like this strike, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Keep your animal companions indoors.”

Again, please share this important information with area-residents during this life-threatening heat wave. MORE