PET TALES

OK fellow pet lovers', wait until you hear this one.

As I was contemplating what to write about in my weekly pet column my phone rang.

Lo and behold it was my mom calling to tell me about how nice her Wheaten Scottie Clancy's grooming job looked.

It seems things are going a lot better this year in the pooch-grooming department.

Last year - not so much.

It was around this same time last year that my mom took her then 9-monthold blonde colored terrier for a summer haircut at their groomer in upstate New York.

What my mom thought would be a normal "shave and a haircut" experience turned quickly into a fiasco after Clancy decided to take a chunk out of the groomer. The woman had to bandage and wrap her hand, and Clancy was banished or should I say blackballed from the studio.

My mom left under a cloud of embarrassment and was left scrambling to find another groomer that Clancy would sit still for and not bite.

Still, in New York, there is not the same urgency to keep pets cool as here in Southwest Florida. There is a little more time before the weather gets unbearable.

This is not the case in our neck of the woods. Summer is already here, and the temperatures are rising a bit each day.

With this in mind, it's time for local pet owners to think about "summerizing" pets. This means keeping them cool and hydrated at all times during the brutal summer months.

Area officials say that once a pet suffers heat distress, the damage is irreversible.

Pets can suffer heat-related problems after being left in a hot vehicle or kept outside in places where there is no shade or water.

Lt. Brian Jones, Charlotte County Animal Control assistant director, said he receives numerous calls a year about pets left in hot vehicles.

Many dogs have perished in the often oven-like conditions of un-air-conditioned vehicles, Jones said.

Jones and his staff have taken pooches out of parked cars because they were panting and exhibiting signs of heat distress.

And animal control agencies often have the right to enter a vehicle and remove a dog that is showing signs of heat trauma.

If a dog suffers a heat-related injury, the owner could be charged with felony animal abuse.

Most folks don't realize that it takes mere minutes for a dog in a locked car to overheat. Jones remembers a case several years ago in which a dog was locked in a minivan near a local store. Animal Control responded to the vehicle and had to get the dog out and douse him with water to cool him off.

The owner reacted with surprise when he came back to his vehicle and found Animal Control there. He told them he had only been gone a few minutes. He did not realize he had been gone about 40 minutes - more than enough time for the animal to suffer permanent injury or even death.

Pets should be left at home, in an airconditioned environment and never in a locked car.

Jones also urges folks to not leave their pets outside during the hot summer months. If a pet must be confined to the outdoors, pet owners must make sure the animal has plenty of water and a shelter or shady place to stay.

Other helpful tips to keep Florida pooches cool is to keep long-haired dogs trimmed frequently and to walk dogs in the evenings and mornings instead of in the dogged afternoon sun.

And the biggest factor for keeping your pet cool and comfy?

"Water, water, water," Jones said. "Make sure they're hydrated."

In other pet news:

Love Labs? Anyone looking for a pet Labrador retriever can contact the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida. The non-profit organization dedicated to placing purebred Labrador Retrievers in loving permanent homes. Check out the Lab rescue by visiting the Web page at www.labradorrescue.net or call 1-866-464-LABS. Contact Ella

>>Readers are welcome to share their stories, information and needs with Ella Nayor at enayor@ florida-weekly.com. Pet Tales is designed to provide entertainment, support and education to our pet lovers.