Keeping your dogs safe while hiking in the Phoenix heat
PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Last summer, Phoenix city leaders rejected a proposal to prohibit people from hiking in extreme heat, but they approved a rule banning dogs from trails during certain times of the year. That ban went into effect on July 1, 2016.
Louie, a 2-year-old pit bull, has a love for the outdoors.
"He loves to hike, loves people, doesn't like water surprisingly," Claire Torres said.
He may not like to swim, but Torres knows how important it is that Louie drinks a lot of water when they hike.
"I just carry a water bowl, he drinks as much water as I do," she said. "I make sure if he's going around, I make him sit down and drink the water with me because he gets so excited that he forgets sometimes."
The same is true for Rock.
In the morning in the summer time, if it is down to 80 degrees or so and we can get in the morning, we'll go, I'll bring water," Alex Kump said.
Kump is also an avid hiker who who knows not to push the limits, at least when it comes to his pup. He agrees with a ban passed by the city of Phoenix last year which states dogs are banned from the city's 41 trailheads when temperatures reach 100 degrees or more.
"I think it's great, I want Rock around for a long time," he said. "That's the most important thing."
In case there's any concern or question, reminders are posted at every trailhead.
"We see a lot of signs of heat stress this time of year, our emergency animal medical techs, during the summer months, respond to 50 calls a day to pets with heat-related issues," said Ashleigh Goebel, of the Arizona Humane Society.
Goebel says the signs posted at trailheads are to remind dog owners of the dangers of extreme heat.
"Just as important as leaving your dog at home when it's too hot to hike," she said.
If you're caught hiking with your dog, park rangers could issue a warning and educate you on the dangers, but you can also be cited for failure to comply -- a class one misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $2,500 and up to six months in jail.