VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – “So when it comes to the heat, you want to really protect all breeds of dogs,” said Mandi Kowaleski with the Virginia Beach Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

A heat wave is sweeping across areas of the United States, and weather experts are warning people to prepare for temperatures to reach 90 degrees or higher.

The Virginia Beach SPCA wants pet owners to remember that animals can suffer heat-related illnesses just like humans.

“You want to look for signs of excessive panting, excessive drinking and disorientation,” Kowaleski said. “If you notice any of those, you need to get them inside. You need to get them cooled down, put some cool water on their head, no ice cubes or anything like that, but some cool water on their head and offer them water and contact your veterinarian immediately.”

She also wants pet owners to stop leaving animals in hot cars.

“The number one thing to think about when you’re trying to protect your pet during the oncoming heat is to never, ever, ever leave your pet in the car,” Kowaleski said. “Think about it. When you come out to your car, what is the first thing you do? You blast your air conditioning. It only takes a few minutes for your your car’s temperature to heat up and that can have potentially fatal consequences if you leave that pet inside the car.”

In 90 degree weather, the inside of the car could reach 109 degrees within 10 minutes and up to 133 degrees within an hour.

In Virginia and North Carolina, law enforcement can legally break into your car to get a pet out if your pet’s health is at risk.

According to a PETA report, as of June 11, 14 dogs died in the year 2024 after being left in a hot car across the United States. The report said on June 5, a dog died and another animal was rescued after being left in a hot car in Virginia Beach.

“In 2023 alone, 163 animals endured heat–related deaths, and another 855 were rescued from the heat—and those are just the ones that were reported,” PETA said in the report.

The SPCA wants pet owners to avoid having animals run around outside during the hottest points of the day.

“When you’re out with your dog, if you’re wanting to take them for a longer walk or maybe throw the ball in the yard, try to do that either in the early morning hours or in the evening when it’s not as hot outside,” Kowaleski said.

She also wants pet owners to remember pet paw’s can get burnt on sand and other hot surfaces.

“If you’re able to take them out in an area that is grassy, that’s much better for them. That’s going to protect their paws. But if you are walking them, a good rule of thumb is if you take your hand and you put it on the pavement or the concrete and you can’t leave it there for 3 seconds without feeling really hot to you, then it could burn your pet’s paws and cause injury,” Kowaleski said.

She said these tips apply to any dog breed. Kowaleski also shared water safety tips for dogs.

“Never let them around any body of water unattended. Things can happen so, so quickly. And just like kids, you don’t want a dog to fall into, you know, fall off of a boat or fall into a pool and not be able to get out on their own,” Kowaleski said. “There are great dog life vests out there that you can put on your dog, which will obviously help them if they get into trouble and keep them afloat.”