Protecting your pets when it heats up in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson is set to see its first 100° day Friday, which means you need to be extra diligent while taking your pets outside.

You've probably heard about testing the temperature of the ground with your own hands: if it's too hot for your hands, it's too hot for your pets.

Elena Paras is an associate veterinarian at Sonoran Veterinary Center. If your pet is on the verge of experiencing a heat stroke, she said there are signs to look out for. “Largely, your dog just doesn’t look quite right. They’re panting a lot, they might seem a little bit lost, sometimes you’ll see tremors, possibly vomit, sometimes they’ll have seizures. It can really escalate pretty quickly.”

Athena Kehoe

Dog shoes can make a huge difference in protecting their paws.

"In terms of thermoregulation, dogs don’t have a ton of sweat glands, it’s mostly on their paw pads. So to really let that heat go, they have to pant." Paras says panting can start to become concerning when "there’s a lot of that drool coming out, just panting so quickly it seems like they can’t catch up."

Becca Cotton is part of the Tucson Action Team and has her own furry friend named Emi.

“They can’t get themselves out of bad situations, so the only way to protect them is by having laws in place and by having people like us speaking up for them," Cotton said.

Arizona has a Good Samaritan hot car law. A person can enter a locked and unattended car to remove a minor or animal if:

• The person has good faith that the minor or animal is in imminent danger.
• The vehicle is locked, and there is no other way to remove them from the vehicle.
• Before entering the vehicle, authorities have been notified of the matter.
• The person uses reasonable force.
• The person stays with the minor or animal until an authority arrives.

If all of the above are followed, the person should not be liable for any damages.
If you're ever in this situation, Cotton recommends "get your phone out, start recording, try to state the date and the time and temperature on your phone.”

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.