September is apparently the new August. Being late in the season of summer and storm predictions notwithstanding, we’re in for more 80-degree sunshine and staggering through fields of cotton batting. The other day, I woke up at 4 a.m. and saw that it was already 79 degrees outside.

Well, better late than never—here’s a bunch of tips for making sure that your pet doesn’t get sick or die from hyperthermia and heat stroke. Symptoms of these conditions in pets include excessive panting, difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, stupor and collapse. Seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, and an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees are also signs (normal temperatures for dogs and cats are around 101.5 degrees). Flat-faced pets like bulldogs and Persian cats, elderly and overweight animals, and pets with health issues are more susceptible to heatstroke. If your pet shows any of these signs, wrap them in a wet towel and wet down their ear flaps and paw pads. Then, get them to the vet immediately. even if they seem to have recovered.

Tip lists galore are available online for making sure that your cat, dog or rabbit doesn’t suffer or become ill, and local pet people have a few of their own. Woofie I met in the air-conditioned comfort of a pet-supply store. The temperature outdoors was hot enough to leave a pawprint in the cement. Woofie’s own paws, however, were protectively shod in a pair of snappy booties, and his humans didn’t stop at the feet.

tan German shepherd with harness and black booties, with one flapped-over ear, sits upright on a floor.
“Woofie always wears the booties in hot weather, and he walks on grass when it’s there,” said one of his peeps. “He gets fresh water every day—twice sometimes, with ice in the water bowl. He always has a rotating fan on him. We go inside buildings that allow dogs because of the heat wave. And he’s an inside dog.”

Purchase booties with care—make sure that the footwear offers ventilation.

 “I would be wary of long-term use of booties—dogs sweat through their paws,” resident Tealeye Cornejo said. “I would think if you’re using booties to help minimize heat that it would be too hot for them to be out.”

Tealeye is the loving mom of Gigi, an adored senior boxer. Tealeye walks Gigi during the early hours of the day or late in the afternoon and at night, before the pavement has heated up. If the heat is oppressive, Tealeye dresses Gigi in a wet T-shirt and puts a bowl of ice water in front of a fan to help cool down the air.

Barkeep John French has discovered cooling mats, which you can buy online or make yourself. If you hate sewing, as I do, this link suggests a number that you can create without batting or threading an eye. The cat might like them as well—just be sure that there’s no opportunity for them to chew on any cold packs you might use.

“Last year at the 99 Cents Store, I bought a dog cooling mat—I think it was $5.99,” said Tracey Booth-South, who walks her little, blind senior dog Mojo in a stroller when it’s too hot. She puts the mat inside the stroller for Mojo when they’re on an outing. Tracey’s ancient air conditioners are by her definition “sucky,” so she wipes her dog with a damp washcloth, sometimes spritzed with tea tree oil when he pants.

“He’s come to really appreciate it,” Tracey said. “I wipe it under all four of his armpits, his groin and his belly, his forehead and ears. I put him in the stroller when he’s showing obvious signs of heat stress, and then I just take him out when we get to a grassy area for him to potty. I offer him special treats in this weather that are high in water, such as watermelon and cucumber. Of course, I do bring water and a collapsible dog bowl.” All pets should have plenty of fresh water wherever they are. So should we, at that.

“Panting in cats is not as common as in dogs, so if it’s not attributable to a vigorous play session, it can be a sign of stress or overheating,” said Helen Sanders CatPAWS cofounder Deborah Felin. “Applying cool packs to paw pads and inner ears may help.”

Speaking of cats, and I do like to, combing and brushing them gets rid of excess fur. But please, please don’t think that you’re doing the cat—or the dog, either—any favor by shaving them down. Cats sweat through their paws and use their fur as insulation from heat or cold, and shaving them interferes with the function. They can also get sunburned if they’re outside (please keep them inside). If you’re using sunscreen on a wet nosie, use products intended for pets only.

Finally, do not leave your pet in a car for any amount of time. Woofie’s humans never do, no matter the weather.

“One of us goes in shopping, and the other stays with him,” Woofie’s mom said.

Pets dehydrate quickly. Even with a cracked window, your pooch can poach in the reflected sunlight on the windshield. If you drive a Tesla, your car has a setting called Dog Mode, which sets the inside of the vehicle to a comfortable temperature for your pet and alerts the driver if something goes wrong. According to sources, it works fine, but personally, I’m not entrusting my animals to technology. Remember the Samsung Galaxy?

California’s penal code (section 597.7) is clear in its wording that it’s a crime to leave a pet in a vehicle in conditions that would damage their well-being. It’s explicit about the penalties for people who do. According to the section, civilians may remove animals from a locked vehicle, using no more force than necessary. That’s open to interpretation, of course; I know a person who carries a ball-peen hammer for such situations. A police or fire department official is required to enter the vehicle, forcibly if necessary, to rescue a suffering and possibly dying animal. Should you witness such a situation, call the local police department. Write the penal code number on the back of your hand or somewhere more permanent so you can quote the code to the dispatcher.

“Our officers respond to reported crime incidents, and our department enforces all laws in accordance with the California Penal code,” said Brandon Fahey, public information officer for the Long Beach Police Department. “We encourage anyone who witnesses a crime occurring to report it to police dispatch by calling 9-1-1 or by calling our non-emergency phone tree at 562- 435-6711.” Me, I’d opt for emergency in this case.

Hot days are still ahead. Make sure that your cat or dog has plenty of water and shady spots, and do the same for yourself.

Virtually pets

“What part of spay and neuter do people not get?” barked Louise Montgomery, super-volunteer for Sparky and the Gang rescue.

It wasn’t the heat that fanned her anger. Sparky founder Sherri Stankewitz and her team had taken in over 100 dogs during August, and the Sparky crew was desperately looking for care, spay/neuter, foster homes, adopters, donations—everything.

about 10 dogs huddled in a bunch
“Our rescue is trying to assist with three separate hoarding cases where the yards and homes are full of dogs,” Louise said. “The homes were feces encrusted and full of fleas and ticks. Volunteers spend countless hours cleaning the pups up, vaccinating, microchipping, and scheduling spay and neuter. Other rescues come to our aid, but it is almost impossible to get spay/neuter appointments outside of The Fix Project [aka Fix Long Beach Pets] on-site. All the shelters are full, as are the rescues. We go on cleaning up the mess from irresponsible people that do not take responsibility for their actions, like everything else it becomes someone else’s problem.”

The following are some of the puppies taken from hoarding situations. Louise was too busy to attach names to photos, but if you’re looking to adopt or can help with fostering, please email [email protected] or check their Facebook page. Donations would be a great help.

 white dog with black ears and eyemasks site on table.

Lucy—not a fussbudget at all.

adorable dog with black mask, tan eyebrows and muzzle, and white spotted body lies on blue blanket.
Linus could use a security blanket.

 

white fuzzy terrier looks to side and sits on pee pad, with the word girl written on photo
Skittles must have written that in lipstick.

 

smiling beige puppy with a black ear, lying on pee pad and looking into camera.
Snickers, cute as a peanut!

 

A helping paw

 Free pet wellness event: Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Scherer Park, 4600 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, free event. 

 

Great furballs of fun!

Pets Ahoy! wine-tasting fundraiser for Seal Beach Animal Care Center: Sunday, Sept. 18, noon–3 p.m., Seal Beach Yacht Club, 255 North Marina Drive, Long Beach, $60 prepaid, $70 at the door.

Hail ye, doggie paddlers and moggie maties! Enjoy a scrumptious luncheon, enticing wines (non-alcoholic beverages included), and chances at a treasure chest of cash prizes and fabulous auction items. Our opportunity drawing offers three lucky seafarers the chance to win Visa gift cards for $1,000, $500 and $250. Tickets are limited so be sure to sign up soon at this link! Donations are tax deductible and help us feed, house, and care for our animals.

Pet Food Express-district manager Jim Zayac stands with his dog, Lou, between shelves of good-smelling food. Lou, however, seems more enchanted with his human. Photo courtesy of Pet Food Express

 

Pet Food Express Pet Fair, online at this link through Sept. 30, with in-store live weekend Sept. 24–25

The pet-supply store that carries only food with high-quality ingredients and every accessory your best buddy needs has announced the dates for this year’s Pet Food Express Pet Fair. The Fair will follow a hybrid model—you’ll be able to adopt online from local shelters and rescues throughout September on the Pet Fair page and also in person at the big Live Weekend, featuring pets from local rescues, taking place Sept 24 and 25. The weekend event will also include live streams and informative seminars both online and in person on the weekend. Fresh food samples will be available at all stores the entire month. Stay tuned for more information about the new location opening in Belmont Shore!

 Best Friends Strut Your Mutt: Saturday, Oct. 22, 9 –11 a.m., Warner Center Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, or virtually at this link from 8 a.m.–4 p.m., $20 registration fee.

Strut Your Mutt

Put on your walking shoes or strap on a virtual pair, and get ready to step up, step out and save lives! Strut Your Mutt, the fundraising walk that saves lives of dogs and cats across the country—is back in the flesh and fur in select cities after an interruption by COVID-19 last year. Although live events were canceled virtual Strut Your Mutt participants raised $1.45 million for homeless pets! Your participation helps to reach Best Friends’ goal of becoming no-kill nationwide by 2025. Registration includes an official 2022 Strut Your Mutt event T-shirt, and the money you raise, including your registration fee, goes directly to Best Friends’ adoption candidates—cats and dogs, of course, and also horses, birds, rabbits and pigs—or to your favorite local participating animal welfare organization. Fundraising runs through Oct. 31. Access this link for details.

Foster for awhile—or furever!

Sign saying "Animal Admissions" at left between two pillars in front of a blue building. At right is a banner saying "Adopt at Long Beach Animal Care. Adoptions Save Lives" in blue, black and white.
Long Beach Animal Care Services located at 7700 E. Spring St.

Long Beach Animal Care Serviceshas expanded adoption hours as follows: Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests are welcome to browse until closing. To speed up any adoption process, email [email protected]. To foster, email [email protected].

If you’ve always wanted a pet but aren’t sure if you’re ready for a lifetime (the animal’s) commitment, or if you’re past the pet-roommate days for any reason, fostering might be a great way to go, especially with one or more of the kittens popping up during kitten season. Every one of the organizations listed below is in desperate need of fosters who’ll social them and help save their little lives. Who knows—maybe one of those lives will change your mind about the not-ready-for-roommate thing!

These nonprofits also regularly feature cat, dog and rabbit adoptions. As of now, adoptions are mainly by appointment. Click on the links for each rescue in case of updates or changes. These organizations operate through donations and grants, and anything you can give would be welcome. Please suggest any Long Beach-area rescues to add to the list.