Pet tips and resources

Summer heat safety tips

Animals cannot sweat like humans, and they are vulnerable to overheating quickly, especially when the temperature rises above 80 degrees. Be sure your pets are ready for the summer heat with these safety tips:

• Be sure to provide plenty of fresh, cool water to pets, and shade from the sun.
• Though pets still need exercise during warm weather, take extra care when exercising older dogs, short-nosed dogs, and dogs with thick coats, as they are especially vulnerable to overheating.
• On hot days, limit your pet's walks to early morning or evening hours. Remember that pavement gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws.
• NEVER leave your pet in a car on a hot day. In sunny weather, the temperature inside a car can quickly rise to 120 degrees or more, even with windows left slightly open. Animals left in a hot car, even for just a few minutes, can suffer from heat stroke, brain damage, or death.
• If you see an animal in distress from the heat, call 9-1-1 or if you live in the RASKC service area call 206-296-7387 (PETS).

Independence Day holiday safety

While most areas of King County prohibit consumer fireworks, there will probably still be a few booms and bangs around the Independence Day holiday on July 4. Many humans enjoy the holiday celebrations, but the Fourth of July can be scary for our pets. The loud noises are hard on their sensitive hearing, and even the calmest pet can get spooked.

To help your pet cope with the noise from fireworks, and reduce the chance that it runs away, Regional Animal Services of King County offers these tips:

• Keep your pet secured indoors in the quietest room of your home while fireworks are going off. You can also use soothing music or television as a distraction. Some pets will stay calmer when placed in a secure crate in a darkened, quiet room.
• If your pet is normally kept outside, bring them inside or put them in a well-ventilated garage or shed or in a basement during fireworks displays.
• Make sure your pet is licensed and has an ID tag or microchip. Pets with ID have a much greater chance of being returned to their owners.
• Some pets may benefit from prescription or over-the-counter medications to help keep them calm. Check with your veterinarian about these options.
• Don't assume that your pet won't react just because you haven't had problems in the past. Sometimes, pets become sensitive to loud noises later in life.
• If your pet is lost, check in person at all local shelters, and check back often. It may take some time before spooked pets are brought to shelters.

Help for owners with missing pets

If your pet does manage to escape, RASKC is ready to help.

Owners whose pets are missing can visit our Lost A Pet page to fill out a missing pet report and find other tips and information that can help. There is also a “View Found Pets” button on that page where owners can see information about stray pets that have been picked up by animal control officers or community members.

For those who find stray pets wandering in their neighborhood, visit our Found A Pet page to fill out a report and read tips on how to reunite a stray pet with their owner.