Dog rescued after overheating during hike in Citrus County
An animal control officer and a local citizen carry a large, overheated dog on a stretcher along a wooded trail in Citrus County, Fla., last week. Courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. - A large dog was rushed to emergency medical care last week after collapsing from heat stress during a forest hike in Citrus County.
Animal control officers and sheriff's deputies hiked deep into the woods to pull the distressed pet to safety.
Citrus County rescue
What we know:
Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer Perego and Officer Gannon hiked into the forest with water and a stretcher after receiving reports of an overheated pet.
A local citizen riding an e-bike assisted the team on the trail.
Deputy Blotz and his trainee also responded to the scene to help carry the heavy animal back to a vehicle, so the owner could drive it to an emergency clinic.
RELATED: Hillsborough County dog heat deaths: 3 pets die in less than two weeks
Dog condition updates
What we don't know:
Officials have not confirmed the current health status of the dog or how long it was exposed to the extreme heat. The sheriff's office has also not released the specific name of the forest trail where the rescue took place.
Citrus County emergency personnel use a specialized trail stretcher to evacuate a large dog suffering from severe heat stress in Citrus County, Fla., last week. Courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff’s Office.
Extreme vehicle heat
Why you should care:
The American Kennel Club warns that large breeds, thick-coated pets, elderly dogs, and chronically ill animals can overheat within minutes. Leaving a dog inside a parked car can turn fatal in under 15 minutes, even on a mild day in the mid-60s, because closed vehicles quickly trap heat and reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Safe cooling methods
What you can do:
The AKC states that if a pet shows signs of heat stress, owners should move the animal to a shaded area and spray the coat with cool, not cold, water.
Using ice-cold water constricts blood vessels and actually slows down the cooling process.
Experts recommend keeping homes cool, restricting daytime exercise, using electric fans, and installing automated phone alerts for temperature failures in homes or motor vehicles.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, which explained how animal control officers and deputies carried out the woods rescue, as well as safety data from the American Kennel Club.