- New signs are going up at area dog parks to prevent heat-related illness.
- The signs follow the death of a six-year-old dog in Northeast Tallahassee earlier this year.
- Watch the video above to see the latest effort to keep pets safe.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
You will soon see an important reminder at neighborhood dog parks near you. I'm Kendall Brandt, your NR in NE Tallahassee.
I told you about 6-year-old Bear, who passed away from heat stroke after playing here at this park in hot weather. Following my story, county leaders are taking action to try and prevent that from happening again. Watch my previous reporting below:
Signs are set to be placed at each Leon County Dog park. It follows the Honeyman family sharing their story on social media about losing their beloved Bear in late May.
ABC 27 was the only news team to speak with them about their call to action to raise awareness of the dangers of the extreme heat.
Lindsey and Brandon Honeyman told me it was an extremely painful experience. "I don't want any dog to suffer that way and the owners to like we have."
I spoke with vets in our area who told me some of the signs of heat stroke in dogs include excessive panting, lethargy and bright colored gums. County leaders also say they looked into putting a cooling station in the parks, but it would cost too much to complete.
Experts with the American Kennel Club says the safest times to take your dog out for some exercise is before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.