City urges residents to be careful with pets in hot weather

The City of Bloomington advised pet owners to be cautious with their furry friends during the current heat wave.

“Please don’t leave your dog in the car while you shop or run errands, even if it is just for a few minutes,” Laurie Ringquist, director of Animal Care and Control, said in a press release. “Each year when the weather heats up, we receive calls almost on a daily basis about dogs left in hot cars.”

Ringquist said it doesn’t matter if the cars are parked in the shade or if the windows are cracked. Cars act like ovens, trapping the heat with temperatures soaring quickly.

The city cited a Stanford University study. It said a car’s internal temperature can heat up to 116 degrees Fahrenheit in under an hour when the outside temperature is as low as 72 degrees, even if the windows are cracked.

Dogs can only withstand a high body temperature for a short time before suffering nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, brain damage or even death, according to the statement.

The city also warned that $50 tickets can be issued to owners of animals found locked in hot cars.

— Zach Ammerman