Portland Pet Group Distributes Cooling Vests To “Houseless” Dogs During Record-Setting Heat Wave
The Pacific Northwest is recovering from the historic heat wave that shattered all-time high temperatures in many cities, including Portland which reached 116 degrees on Monday.
The oppressive heat put the lives of people and pets at risk. Heatstroke is a dangerous condition that can come on quickly, especially in hot temperatures.
As temperatures soared over 100 degrees over the weekend, a nonprofit pet group in Portland made sure dogs without proper shelter stayed cool.
Portland Pet Bloc distributed dog cooling vests and mats to dogs in need, focusing on the homeless.
“Friends, we have more cooling vests that we’d love to get out to any hot dogs out there. We’re prioritizing houseless pets as resources are limited and they don’t have the option to stay indoors. Please keep an eye out for any animals that could use support and let us know,” they tweeted.
The group posted photos of some of the happy recipients staying cool in their vests.
— PetBlocPDX (@petblocpdx) June 27, 2021
But they couldn’t have helped all the dogs they did without the generous support of the community. They thanked everyone who helped purchase the vital items. “Y’all went so hard on donations we were able to buy so many cooling vests bandanas and mats to distribute to unhoused pets in the community. thank you so much for helping us keep our community pets safe.”
People were advised to bring their pets inside and make sure they had plenty of cool water and fans. Portland set up three dog-friendly cooling centers that were open 24/7 so people and pets could escape the intense heat.
Oregon Humane Society posted tips on how to keep pets cool during the heat wave and even closed their doors on Monday as a safety precaution. All of the shelter pets stayed cool indoors and were cared for by staff and volunteers.
Due to more mild summers, many homes in Portland don’t have AC. One concerned pet owner asked Pet Bloc if it was normal for their dog not to eat due to the heat.
“Try and get them to drink water at least – some things to try if they aren’t eating or drinking would be canned wet food – you can even freeze it for a cool popsicle treat! Same goes for bone broth or similar,” advised the group.
The nonprofit is dedicated to helping pets all year and while they are still purchasing cooling vests for dogs in need, they are also working on purchasing air filter masks for houseless and service dogs in preparation for the upcoming fire season.
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