Pet Safety Alert for Drivers: Keep it Cool During the Summer

We’ve previously covered pet summer safety in transportation, but usually from the owner’s perspective. This time we’re focused on transporters, and just how important it is to be extra cautious during the hottest months of the year.

What follows is an overview of the summer pet safety hazards every transporter should keep in mind. Think of it as a primer for new drivers on the platform and a refresher for the veterans.

Overheating and Dehydration

When it’s hot outside, many animals struggle to regulate their body temperature. Neither cats nor dogs sweat the way humans do, which makes them vulnerable to overheating. During transport, you have to take active steps to manage that risk. (For a deeper look at spotting and treating it, see our guide to recognizing and preventing heatstroke in animals.)

The precaution that gets mentioned most is never leaving pets alone inside a locked vehicle. When the car isn’t moving, the A/C is either off or working at reduced capacity, so the interior can get very hot very quickly:

The heat rises even faster when you’re transporting multiple pets at once. Each body in the vehicle generates heat and adds to the problem. Left on their own in these escalating conditions, animals are helpless and in serious danger of heatstroke. With a person present, though, it’s easy to turn the engine back on and restart the A/C.

Beyond that, here are several common-sense measures you can take to keep pets safe during summer transport:

• Hydration: Make sure each pet has access to plenty of fresh water at all times.
• Ventilation: Position the pet carriers so each one has good airflow.
• Monitoring: Watch for warning signs like excessive panting or drooling, listlessness, and dizziness. Left unchecked, these can progress to vomiting and unconsciousness.

Walking in Warm Weather

Heat hazards aren’t only an issue inside the vehicle. When you stop for a potty break, the pet is directly exposed to the sun. For some dogs, especially those with shaggy black coats, that alone can be risky. Keep sensitive animals in the shade whenever you can, even on a short walk.

Watch the ground, too. When the air is a mild 77°F, pavement in the sun can reach about 125°F, hot enough to burn a dog’s paw pads in roughly 60 seconds. There’s an easy field test: press the back of your hand flat against the surface. If you can’t hold it there for seven seconds, it’s too hot for the dog. Stick to grass, and save walks for early morning or after sunset when the pavement has cooled.

In or out of the vehicle, if an animal appears to be overheating, here’s what you can do:

• Move them to a cool, shaded environment as soon as possible.
• If they’re able to drink, offer fresh water, cold but without ice.
• Use a wet cloth to gently wipe their paw pads, necks, or tongues.
• Check their temperature. Anywhere between 103 and 106 degrees is considered elevated.
• If they’re still struggling, get them to the nearest vet.

High-Risk Canine Breeds

Since dogs come in all shapes and sizes, certain breeds face greater difficulty in warm weather. For this summary we’ll split the high-risk breeds into three categories, though there’s plenty of overlap between them. Owners of these breeds need to be especially mindful of summer pet safety.

Short-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds include pugs, bulldogs, French bulldogs, Shih-Tzu, and many others. They tend to have respiratory issues caused by shortened, often congested breathing pathways, and respiration in dogs is closely tied to regulating body temperature. Current veterinary research bears this out: bulldogs and French bulldogs show far higher odds of heat-related illness than breeds like the Labrador.

Long-haired breeds include collies, chow-chows, schnauzers, and various shepherds. Their thick coats aren’t a problem in themselves, and shaving them doesn’t help. But these animals were bred for colder climates and don’t handle warm weather particularly well.

High-energy breeds include beagles, boxers, and many terriers and spaniels. Put simply, these dogs don’t know when to quit. They need frequent activity that, in hot weather, can tip into heat exhaustion. Some of these breeds are also prone to cardiovascular conditions that raise the danger of heatstroke.

Any dog or pet can also be high-risk individually if it’s overweight, very old, very young, or on certain prescription medications. Each of these animals is a story of its own, with unique risk factors and precautions. The best advice is to follow the instructions of the animal’s owner and veterinarian closely.

Overconfident Transporters

Finally, consider one last factor in summer pet safety: transporter confidence. Experienced drivers may figure they’ve got this handled. No animal has ever overheated on their watch. There’s plenty of water, the A/C is on, what else is there to worry about? Then they need to pop out for a quick errand. It’ll only take a minute or two, maybe five, no more than ten.

And just like that, there goes the perfect record.

The fix is simple: don’t get overconfident. Stay on your toes, avoid lazy mistakes, and stay as attentive to the animal’s needs as you can. Every so often, ask what you might be missing. Would a backseat temperature monitor be a worthwhile investment? Is it worth keeping a rectal thermometer in the car, just in case?

The stakes are real. According to PETA, 151 companion animals died from heat-related causes in 2025, and another 365 were rescued. Those are only the reported cases; the true numbers are almost certainly far higher. Every attentive transporter keeps another animal off that list, and CitizenShipper drivers are committed to doing exactly that, this summer and every summer.

One more thing worth knowing on the road: every eligible booking on the CitizenShipper marketplace includes $1,000 Pet Protection Coverage and 24/7 on-call vet access through FirstVet, so if a heat problem develops mid-trip, a licensed vet is a call away. You can also sharpen your hot-weather know-how with the free Cat & Dog Transportation Safety Course.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hot does a parked car get with pets inside?

A parked car heats up rapidly when the engine and A/C are off. On a 70-degree day, the interior can reach 89°F within 10 minutes and 113°F within an hour. On a 95-degree day, it can hit 114°F in just 10 minutes and 138°F within an hour. These conditions are life-threatening for pets left unattended.

How hot is too hot to walk a dog on pavement?

When the air is around 77°F, sun-exposed pavement can climb to roughly 125°F, hot enough to burn a dog’s paw pads in about 60 seconds. Use the seven-second test: press the back of your hand to the pavement, and if you can’t hold it there for seven seconds, it’s too hot for your dog. Walk on grass or wait for early morning or evening.

Which dog breeds are most at risk during summer pet transport?

Three categories of dogs face elevated risk in warm weather. Short-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds like pugs, bulldogs, French bulldogs, and Shih-Tzus have respiratory issues that make temperature regulation harder. Long-haired breeds like collies, chow-chows, and schnauzers were bred for colder climates and struggle in the heat. High-energy breeds like beagles, boxers, and various terriers and spaniels overexert themselves easily, which can lead to heat exhaustion. Dogs that are overweight, very old, very young, or on certain medications are also individually considered high-risk.

What precautions should pet transporters take to prevent overheating in summer?

Never leave animals alone in a parked vehicle, where interior temperatures can become dangerous within minutes. Give each pet access to plenty of fresh water at all times, position carriers to allow good airflow, and monitor for warning signs such as excessive panting, drooling, listlessness, or dizziness. When walking pets outdoors, avoid hot pavement to prevent paw blistering, keep shade-sensitive animals out of direct sunlight, and consider tools like a backseat temperature monitor or a rectal thermometer for emergencies.