Expert's advice on how to travel with your pets this summer
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- If you plan on traveling with your furry friends this summer, remember to keep your pets safe in the heat.
KXAN Meteorologist Tommy House sat down with Lori Kalef, the director of programming at SPCA International, to learn more.
Read an edited version of the conversation below:
Meteorologist Tommy House: How hot is "too hot", when traveling with your dog?
Lori Kalef: If it's too hot for you, it's way too hot for your dog. I would say that any average temperature outside, if it's about 70°, can be about 15 to 20° hotter inside your car.
Dogs already run hotter than humans, by about two degrees. And while humans sweat to regulate their body temperature, dogs don’t. They pant, which can be very hard on their organs, leading to heart failure, other organ failure, and imminent death if they’re left too long.
House: What are some alternative methods to keep them safe when traveling?
Kalef: You want to bring your dogs with you everywhere, and I’m the same way. I have three rescue dogs, and I take them with me wherever I go.
The important thing is to know that you can plan ahead. We live in such a dog friendly culture now that there are always alternatives. Of course, not everyone has a smart car with air conditioning that allows you to leave your dogs unattended.
So I would say plan ahead. If you're going on vacation, make sure you have a pet friendly BNB where you're allowed to leave your dogs behind. There are also tons of pet friendly patios you can visit.
And if you need to make a quick stop, check ahead, most establishments actually allow dogs, especially in the summertime.