Delaware News

DPH Reminds Residents to Protect Pets During Heat Waves

Delaware Health and Social Services | Division of Public Health | Featured Posts | Date Posted: Wednesday, June 25, 2025


Dog in front of fan while lying on sofa.
DOVER, DEL. (June 25, 2025) – The Delaware Division of Public Health’s (DPH) Delaware Animal Services (DAS) office urges pet parents to keep their pets indoors during this and any future heat wave. The animal welfare law enforcement agency has been inundated with calls about pets left outdoors in the heat, and the current conditions can be extremely hazardous and even deadly to these animals.  Any such illnesses or deaths are completely avoidable by following some basic guidelines.
 
Delaware law prohibits leaving a dog outside and unattended during a hazardous weather advisory or where conditions pose a serious adverse risk of health and safety to the animal. Delaware is currently under an extreme heat warning, and as summer is just beginning, this will likely not be the last such heat wave.
 
Fully dependent on their human best friends for their care, pets are extra vulnerable to extreme heat. Animals at the greatest risk of stress from the heat include pregnant or lactating animals, very young and older animals, animals with darker coats, obese pets, short-nosed dog breeds and animals with chronic health conditions. It is best to bring pets indoors and provide plenty of water.
 
Practice caution when walking dogs. If you must walk them, the best time of day in the summer months is in the early morning or late evening when the sun’s heat is not as intense. A simple touch of your hand to any surface where a walk is planned will tell if it’s too hot for a dog. If it’s too hot for a human hand, it’s too hot for a dog’s paws.
 
Pets should also never be left in cars unattended even for a brief time.  Even if the windows are cracked, the temperature in a car can rise to a dangerous level very quickly.  To report an animal emergency, call DAS at 302-255-4646.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a heat and health tracker to determine the conditions for your specific area.
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DPH Reminds Residents to Protect Pets During Heat Waves

Delaware Health and Social Services | Division of Public Health | Featured Posts | Date Posted: Wednesday, June 25, 2025


Dog in front of fan while lying on sofa.
DOVER, DEL. (June 25, 2025) – The Delaware Division of Public Health’s (DPH) Delaware Animal Services (DAS) office urges pet parents to keep their pets indoors during this and any future heat wave. The animal welfare law enforcement agency has been inundated with calls about pets left outdoors in the heat, and the current conditions can be extremely hazardous and even deadly to these animals.  Any such illnesses or deaths are completely avoidable by following some basic guidelines.
 
Delaware law prohibits leaving a dog outside and unattended during a hazardous weather advisory or where conditions pose a serious adverse risk of health and safety to the animal. Delaware is currently under an extreme heat warning, and as summer is just beginning, this will likely not be the last such heat wave.
 
Fully dependent on their human best friends for their care, pets are extra vulnerable to extreme heat. Animals at the greatest risk of stress from the heat include pregnant or lactating animals, very young and older animals, animals with darker coats, obese pets, short-nosed dog breeds and animals with chronic health conditions. It is best to bring pets indoors and provide plenty of water.
 
Practice caution when walking dogs. If you must walk them, the best time of day in the summer months is in the early morning or late evening when the sun’s heat is not as intense. A simple touch of your hand to any surface where a walk is planned will tell if it’s too hot for a dog. If it’s too hot for a human hand, it’s too hot for a dog’s paws.
 
Pets should also never be left in cars unattended even for a brief time.  Even if the windows are cracked, the temperature in a car can rise to a dangerous level very quickly.  To report an animal emergency, call DAS at 302-255-4646.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a heat and health tracker to determine the conditions for your specific area.
image_printPrint

Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.