The Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — If you’re complaining about how hot the weather has been, chances are your pets are too. Like their owners, Villagers agree pets need protection against the heat.

“We walk Oscar before 9 a.m. because he doesn’t like it when it’s too hot,” said Art Connor, a resident from the Village of Rio Ranchero. He was walking his white Lhasa apso early Saturday in Spanish Springs before the already steamy weather got worse.

Villager Beverly Silverg suggests keeping your dogs fully hydrated.

“Give them plenty of water, and keeping them inside with the air conditioner is always great,” said the Village of De La Vista resident. Silverg and several friends meet early Saturday mornings at Spanish Springs to help their pets socialize.

Her friend Grace Gil said she walks her dogs around 6:30 a.m.

“I never leave them in the car for a second,” said the Summerfield resident. “It just gets too hot.”

Gil suggested using a sopping wet towel, without ice, to wipe off large dogs like her two golden retrievers, Winston and Lance.

“The hot cement can burn their paws too,” she said. “People from up north don’t realize that.”

At PETCO, managers encourage pet owners to mist their pets and keep them near cooling fans.

“We do misting three times a day for iguanas and other reptiles,” said Jackie McCarthy, manager at the Lady Lake store. “It’s best to keep all pets in screened cages with cooling fans when you’re outside.”

As Villagers did, McCarthy stressed the importance of hydration.

“You can put ice cubes in cats’ and dogs’ bowls,” she said. “We have the ‘Drinkwell,’ which is a water fountain and bowl with a cooling rotation.”

She also said chlorine pools are safe for dogs during the hot summers.

“If you have a pool, let them jump in with kids or with a water hose, she said, but make sure there is still clean water nearby because chlorine makes them thirsty.”

If you are going on vacation with your dogs, McCarthy suggests to either leave your pets with a neighbor or make sure there is an entry for the animals to go outside and then come back in to cool off.

“Even when you’re walking your dogs, carry a disposable bottle, or collapsible bowl to fill with water,” she said.

Most important, McCarthy said, pets need love and attention.

“Make sure before you purchase any pets this summer, that you are positively going to care for them,” she said. “Pets take a lot of responsibility (from their owners) and we hate to see them neglected.”

Azia Li Forrest is a reporter with the Daily Sun. She can be reached at 753-1119, ext. 9069, or azia.forrest@thevillagesmedia.com.