Planning your walks and outdoor time with your pets during the summer months is very important. Either early morning or late afternoon when the temperature is cooler is appropriate. Even with temperatures as low as 28oC, there is a high burn risk for pets, but with a temperature of 32oC and above, it's almost guaranteed that your pet will be injured if you're not careful.

Pavement and asphalt temperatures can be 40+ degrees hotter than the air temperature, and oftentimes we can't feel that heat through our shoes. But your pet will definitely feel the burn if you don't proactively check the ground before going for a walk. Use the seven-second test to see if the ground is safe: hold the back of your hand to the ground for seven seconds. If you can't keep your skin pressed to the pavement for seven seconds, it's too hot for a walk. If you change ground types (concrete to asphalt) during your walk, check both surfaces - some surfaces get even hotter than others. If you have an indoor/outdoor pet, it's important to try and keep them inside for the duration of the predicted heatwave to save them from accidental burns and heatstroke. Outdoor time for pets like turtles, lizards, ferrets, rabbits, and guinea pigs should also be assessed and vigilantly monitored during the heatwave - due to their small size and their body's proximity to the ground, heat burns from the pavement could cause death.