Paige Spiranac: ‘If You’re Hot, Your Dog is Hotter!’

Golf Phenom Tees Off With PETA to Remind Everyone to Keep Animals Indoors During Hot Weather

For Immediate Release:
August 24, 2017

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Temperatures across the country have soared this summer, and weather-related deaths have already claimed the lives of 41 dogs and 34 children. Now, rising golf talent and Instagram sensation Paige Spiranac is teaming up with PETA for a new video with her adopted pup, Niko, to remind everyone to keep dogs indoors when it’s hot outside. Spiranac points out that dogs wear fur coats 24/7, and—unlike humans—they can only cool themselves by sweating through their paw pads and by panting, which makes it more difficult for them to beat the heat.

“If you’ve seen or read the news recently, you know that dogs are dying in the heat,” says Spiranac. “We must keep dogs indoors when it’s hot outside and always make sure they have access to cool, clean water.”

The athlete advises never taking dogs out during the hottest parts of the day and avoiding walks on dark pavement, which can heat up to 180 degrees on a hot day. “When the ground is hot, their sensitive paw pads can burn or blister,” she adds. “Wondering if the ground is too hot? You can check it by placing the back of the hand on the pavement—if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them!”

PETA (whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”) notes that guardians should watch for symptoms of heatstroke, which include restlessness, heavy panting, vomiting, lethargy, and a lack of appetite or coordination. If your dog shows any of these signs, get him or her to a veterinarian immediately—even a few minutes’ delay could be fatal.

Spiranac joins a long list of athletes—including Tyrann Mathieu, Le’Veon Bell, Ryan Tannehill, Amanda Beard, Candace Parker, Christen Press, Tim Howard, and Hannah Teter—who’ve teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.