Keeping pets safe in the heat

Six straight days of temperatures topping 100 degrees is dangerous for humans and animals.

On Friday, FOX23 did a ride-a-long with Tulsa workers as they rescued animals that’ve been forgotten. And on days like this, Animal Welfare agents say it’s actually better to crate your pet inside your home, than leave it outside all day in the hot sun.

We weren’t on the road more than 10 minutes when we came across a dog chained to a tree under the hot sun. He had no food, water and barely a proper shelter from the hot sun. He almost smiled at the sign of friendly faces coming towards him.

“The no water is a big issue. If we go out there and there is no water we will more than likely take the animal just because they can die in this,” says Animal Welfare agent, Rachel Fritz.

Thankfully, managers at the local mobile home park noticed the animal and gave it water until it could be rescued.

"If they're chained up, you want to make sure that they have access to that water at all times,” says Fritz.

With that dog safe inside the cool truck, we headed off to rescue more. We soon came upon a mother cat with several kittens. All had been abandoned in the hot sun with no food or water.

"That's disappointing to see any living thing treated that way,” says Thomas Burns, park manager.

The owners had been evicted and left the cat behind to fend for itself and its kittens.

"You get up in the morning and take a drink of water and they want the same thing,” says Fritz.

Our final stop leads us to another dog.
Abandoned and alone, he sought shelter underneath a bush for shade.

"They were also evicted from the premises and rather than taking their pet with them they decided to leave it here untied,” says Burns.

All in all, we rescued 9 animals from the heat.  They’re brought back to the shelter for food, water and vaccines.  The goal is to get them adopted as soon as possible; otherwise they could be euthanized within three business days.

If you would like to adopt an animal, dogs are $75 and cats are $25, that includes spay, neuter, rabies and their city license and initial vaccines.