🎧 Listen to this article
Â
As days of dangerously high heat and humidity bring triple-digit temperatures to Connecticut, state officials and animal advocates are advising pet owners to take special precautions to protect their furry companions.
Inland temperatures are forecast to threaten the state's all-time recorded high of 103 degrees, and the heat and humidity will combine to make conditions feel even hotter, with highs as high as 115 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
“Summer weather can shift quickly, and the combination of high heat and holiday activity adds stress for animals of all kinds,” state Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said in a news release. “What feels manageable to people can turn dangerous for pets and livestock in a short amount of time. Simple precautions taken now help keep animals safe when temperatures spike.”
The number one piece of advice, shared by Hurlburt, the Humane Society of the United States and animal rights group Desmond's Army Animal Law Advocates: never leave pets in vehicles, even briefly.
The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that hundreds of pets die every year from heat stroke after being left inside vehicles.
"Exercise the same care with a pet as you would with a child," Lauren Fabrizi, a spokesperson with the American Automobile Association, said.
For the most part, experts recommend limiting exercise to the early morning and late evening to avoid exposing pets to the peak heat of the day. The Humane Society recommends walking pets on grass, as hot asphalt and pavement can easily burn paws.Â
The elevated temperatures are also dangerous to humans. Gov. Ned Lamont has activated the state's extreme hot weather protocol, and municipalities around the state have opened cooling centers for people seeking shelter from the heat.
A man climbs down from a platform at the mouth of Milford Harbor as a heat wave hits the state on July 1, 2026.
But high levels of humidity linked to this heat wave are of particular danger to small animals, as it is more difficult for them to regulate their internal temperature.
"When animals pant, moisture from their lungs evaporates and helps reduce their body heat," Dr. Barbara Hodges of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association said. "But high humidity conditions hamper that process and their ability to cool themselves, and their body temperature can skyrocket — rapidly — to dangerous, or even lethal, levels."
Experts also recommend providing pets with plenty of fresh water and shade, and staying alert for signs of heat stroke, which can include "heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure and unconsciousness,"Â according to the Humane Society.
In the event a pet starts suffering from heatstroke, owners are advised to put them in a cool and shaded area, wrap them in a damp towel and in serious cases, take them to a veterinarian for further care and monitoring.
This story contains previous reporting from Staff Writer Peter Yankowski.