The latest from the Animal Center!

"Beat the H.E.A.T." This Summer

With temps expected to reach above 100 DEGREES this summer, it's important to remember our pets feel the heat too! Pets can't sweat to cool off like humans, so extreme heat is especially dangerous.

To "Beat the H.E.A.T. " this summer, remember these important steps that could save your pet!

H is for Hydration

Always have cool, fresh water available for pets – throw in some ice! If your pet stays outside, they must be provided with access to shade and fresh water.

Make sure that your pet can't dump over their water during the day when you're not home to refill it. Secure water bowls so that they can't be tipped over.

Keep water bowls in shaded areas so that the water stays as cool as possible. You can even put ice cubes in the water bowls to help keep the water cool.

E is for Emergency

Heatstroke in pets IS an emergency – it can be life threatening and requires IMMEDIATE veterinary care! Know the signs and contact a vet immediately if you think your dog is suffering from heatstroke:

excessive panting;
dark or bright red tongue and gums
seizures;
bloody diarrhea or vomiting
drooling;
mild weakness, stumbling, stupor or collapse.

A is for Asphalt

The sidewalks/streets are lava! Hot asphalt can burn sensitive paw pads!

Think about when YOU step outside with bare feet and have to hop quickly off your patio or deck because the ground is too hot. Take the test – if the ground is too hot for you to walk barefoot, then it is too hot for your dog!

Exercise pets during the cooler hours of the day...early morning or late evenings. Pets still need to exercise; however, we want to make sure they do it safely.

T is for Transportation

Never leave your pet in the car! Cars can get up to 120 degrees in minutes! We cannot stress this enough!

Pets can, and have, died when left in hot cars. It can be 70 degrees outside, and the inside of your car will heat to over 90 degrees in about 10 minutes!

It is never safe to leave your pet in a car in the summer. If they can't go into the stores with you, then they are best to be left at home.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUMMER SAFETY

Do You Want to Help? Here is What You Can Do!

The Wake County Animal Center is the only open admission shelter in Wake County that never turns away animals, including stray, abandoned and surrendered pets. However, the capacity for animals living at the center is 130 and pets continually come to the shelter each day.

Here's what you can do to help save pets in our community:

If you can adopt, check out the pets we have at pets.wakegov.com/gallery!
If you can't adopt, share our animals on your social media to help find them homes.
If you find a stray, try to find the owner yourself before bringing to the shelter. Ask a local vet to check for a microchip, post the animal on NextDoor and TriangleLostPets.org or any local Facebook group.
If you need to give up your pet, try to find it a new yourself. Post online, ask friends and family or return the pet to where you got it. (Note: We require appointments for owners to surrender pets so we can try to manage our limited facility space.)

Your efforts keep space open in the shelter! Pets are available for adoption every day from noon to 6 p.m. at the Wake County Animal Center, 820 Beacon Lake Drive, Raleigh.

Know Before You Go! Where are the Local Veterinary Emergency Clinics?

Some emergency pet clinics are reaching capacity due to staff shortages and turning away cases because they just don’t have the people to care for your pet. It may be that you have to call more than one or two clinics before you can find someone to see your pet. And in some cases you may still have to wait hours.

The best you can do for your pet is to call before you head to an emergency clinic with your pet! That's why we put together a convenient list of emergency clinics in Wake County. Download or bookmark so you have a quick reference list when you have a pet emergency!

EMERGENCY VET CLINICS LIST

July National Pet Days

July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month and serves as an important reminder for pet parents to make sure their pets stay safe and don’t get lost. Here are a few tips to ensure you won’t lose your precious friend: Microchip your dog or cat and get an ID tag, keep your dog on a leash, fence your yard and keep your dog inside when you’re not home.

July 21 is a National Craft for Local Shelters Day! This is a great day to support your local shelters in a fun and personal way. If you can make a blanket or toy, we would love to have them. There are so many ways to help our animals. Check out our donations page for more information.

On July 31 we celebrate NATIONAL MUTT DAY! Have you ever seen the comic strip by Patrick McDonnell? Back in 1998, he published the very first MUTTS Shelter Stories comic strip and over the years it became one of the most successful series – inspiring dozens to adopt at their local shelter. Check out the story here and make sure to visit our center. Our shelter is open for adoptions daily from noon to 6 p.m. seven days a week!