06/21/2025
☀️ HEAT ADVISORY☀️ If you’ve set foot outside today, you know it is hot, hot, HOT! It’s currently 91 in DSM with a heat index in the hundreds, and those temps are expected to continue for the next several days – so PLEASE keep your pets safe and keep an eye out for pets in distress. Remember:
1. NEVER leave your pet (or child) alone in a parked vehicle – even in the shade, even with the windows vented. With extreme temps like today the inside can reach 114 degrees in just 10 minutes! Even leaving them for "just a minute” can be deadly.
2. Keep pets indoors as much as possible and provide plenty of fresh, cold water. Also consider putting water out for community cats and wildlife.
3. Avoid hiking, running, walking and exercising outside with dogs during peak heat hours – they can burn their paws on asphalt, concrete and even turf, and are at a higher risk of heat stress. (Remember: If it's hot for you, it's even hotter for your dog!)
4. Be alert for the signs of heat stress: heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, unsteadiness, a staggering gait, vomiting, or a deep red tongue. If you believe your pet is suffering from heat exhaustion, contact your veterinarian right away — it could save your pet's life.
If you see a pet in distress in the city of Des Moines, call (515) 283-4811 to have an ARL Animal Services officer dispatched. During extreme temps, these calls are considered priority calls. If you see a pet in distress in any other city, call the non-emergency police number for that area.
