As scorching summer temperatures are heating up, Lincoln Animal Control (LAC) officers have been busy the past two months responding to call of animals in distress.
LAC Field Supervisor Officer Nick Finelli shared with KLIN News, their agency has responded to 53 calls regarding dogs left unattended in hot cars — three of which resulted in citations for animal neglect.
But its not just canine left in cars that LAC is concerned with… Finelli says their officers also keep an eye out for pets left outside in the scorching heat, particularly if they have proper shade a water.
“If their tether is tangled or something, and they can’t reach any kind of provisions, we’ll go out and investigate and determine if there’s a violation of animal neglect,” Finelli said.
When its exceedingly hot out, Finelli recommends taking your dogs inside as soon as they “finish their business,” and if your considering your pups favorite neighborhood walk, he suggests you perform a simple test to see if the pavement is too hot for your pet’s paw pads.
“I would suggest putting your bare hand on the pavement. If you can’t leave it there for 10 seconds because it’s too hot, it’s more than likely too hot for your dog and it’s going to burn its paws,” said Finelli.
Even if you bring along water and shade methods for your walk, your dog could still be afflicted by the extreme heat, and could experience internal damage when their body temperature climbs above triple digits.
Lastly, Finelli reminds the public, if you see an pet in a hot car outside without shade or water for extended period of time, contact animal control at 402-441-7900 and an officer will investigate and see if there’s a violation of city-code.