Animal welfare charities are expressing their concerns relating to the extreme temperatures we are currently experiencing.

Joining in with the chorus of calls for caution and extra care during the heatwave, animal charities are urging for pet owners and wildlife lovers to do what they can to help protect animals while the heat is so intense.

Lisa Thorley, owner of Diefer’s Legacy Animal Rescue, currently has 40 cats and kittens in her care.

She said: “It’s difficult because it’s just so hot. People think they’re helping by opening all their windows but that’s just letting the hot air in.

“We shut the windows and draw the blinds to keep them cool.”

Dogs might find is especially hard in this weather. Lisa said: “Dogs should never be walked in this heat at all. It’d be like you putting on a fur coat and going out barefoot. Walk them first thing in the morning and the last thing at night when it’s cooler.

Lisa Thorley with her dog Diefer, who she named her animal rescue after after he died

“People also think giving them ice is a good idea. When a dog eats ice its body’s reaction is to heat up.

“A lot of people wrap their pets in a cool wet towel – don’t do that. You can place one on the ground but don’t wrap them in it as you’re trapping the heat.

“If your dog is showing signs of a heat stroke – drooling and heavy panting - don’t pour cold water on them because it can send them into shock. You need to cool them down slowly.

“Get them in the shade and give them some water and get them to a vet immediately. They can die within minutes.”

Every summer the RSPCA receives hundreds of reports of animals suffering from heat exposure, including dogs left in hot cars, pets with heat burns on their paws from pavements, dehydrated wild animals after water supplies have dried up, grazing animals with no shade, and dogs over-exercised in the heat.

Esme Wheeler, RSPCA dog welfare specialist, said: “With just a few simple tweaks to their routine and a bit of planning ahead, you really can make a huge difference to your pets’ comfort during the hot weather, and in some cases, you may well be saving their lives.” 

She agreed with Lisa that dog owners should be particularly aware of the dangers of walking their pets during high temperatures.

“While the majority of us would never leave our dogs in a car on a hot day, or even take our dogs for a really long walk in the heat, many people may still be putting their dogs at risk even on a short walk, or by taking them to places such as fields and beaches with little or no shade, but the truth is, walking dogs in hot weather can be a silent killer,” she said.

“We have long campaigned about the risk of dogs dying in hot cars, but this year we’re highlighting that dog die on hot walks, too.

“The message remains very simple - never leave a dog in a hot car because ‘not long’ is too long, and when it comes to walks, ‘if in doubt, don’t go out’.”

The following is a list of advice issued to pet owners and ‘animal champions’ by the RSPCA for taking care of animals during the hot weather.

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