People, this is a reminder that walking a dog on a hot day is a
bad idea. If you don’t believe me, then take off your own shoes and
feel the heat from the sidewalks and especially the street.
“People, this is a reminder that walking a dog on a hot day is a bad idea. If you don’t believe me, then take off your own shoes and feel the heat from the sidewalks and especially the street. This means all dogs! I see a lot of pit bull owners walking their dogs on hot days with no regard to the animal, and it not only seems cruel, it is.”
Red Phone: Dear Dog’s Best Friend, Unfortunately, many pet owners don’t pay enough attention to their pets on hot days, often leaving them in hot cars or not giving them enough water. Pete Keesling, a San Martin veterinarian who writes a pet advice column every other week for the Dispatch, agreed.
“Pavement, especially asphalt in the sun, can be hot enough to burn the pads of any pooch,” he said. “Most dogs will stop walking when the ground is too hot, a signal to their companion that it hurts. But some dogs are so loyal, they’ll walk on hot surfaces without objection. A vet’s best advice is to walk in the shade during the cool part of the morning or evening. That way, everyone can enjoy a stroll without getting burned.”
There are a couple other things to remember to keep your pet safe this summer. The Humane Society recommends not keeping pets in cars even for short periods of time because the inside can quickly get up to 120 degrees. Also be sure to keep pets away from fertilizers and certain plants. Some can be deadly if ingested.
If you have any additional questions about pets, feel free to contact Keesling at
sm****@ya***.com
and then check out the Features section of the Gilroy Dispatch for the answer.
Not a bright idea
“Tonight (Tuesday) at 8:30 p.m. the lights on northbound Santa Teresa Boulevard from Welburn Avenue to past Mantelli Street were not lit, which produced a dark and dangerous area for those on bicycles and on foot. Did someone at City Hall forget to pay PG&E?”
Red Phone: Dear In The Dark, The city is current on its PG&E bills as far as Red Phone knows. PG&E had an equipment failure earlier this week and was having trouble getting power through the cables to the lights, said City Engineer Don Dey. However, he said the lights should be back up now.
Going out on a limb
“It looks like nearly 100 percent of the flowering pear trees planted along Holloway Road and Camino Arroyo, south and east of Target and Salvation Army, have been hard hit by a blight of some kind. Dozens of trees are involved. I understand the city may not the money to properly prune away the diseased branches, meaning those trees will be progressively weaker next year. But is there any chance the state ag people can help out? Does this type of blight pose any threat to the commercial fruit orchards just to the south?”
Red Phone: Dear Pruned Out, The Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture and Environmental Management is looking into the tree problem.
“I took some samples from the trees and have sent them to the plant pathology lab in Sacramento to determine what it is,” said Kristian Barbeau, an Agricultural Biologist. “I will let you know when I get the results.”
So stay tuned, good readers, and we’ll let you know what they discover.
