BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As Bakersfield gears up for another heatwave, pet owners should keep an eye out for sighs of heat illness in their pets.
- Video shows Friends of Clyde Animal Shelter
- Sundee Martineau, the founder of Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies, visits her newly aquired animal shelter two to three times a day to make sure the dogs at the shelter are staying cool.
Relief from the Bakersfield sun requires plenty of water and shade from the heat.
"You want some ice pretty girl," Sundee Martineau asked one of the dogs at the shelter.
But, for those who can't find that relief on their own, Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies Rescue steps in.
"When it gets into triple digits, everyone is miserable out there, especially our pets."
With a trunk full of ice, Martineau visits their newly acquired Friends of Clyde Animal Shelter two to three times a day.
"Wanna get in your pool? You wanna get in your pool, I know," she said, cooling off one of the pups.
Martineau stops at each kennel, soaking dogs like Brownie with cool water and taking packages of ice to each kennel.
"And I put it over here because she'll lay on it later on," she showed 23ABC's Dominique LaVigne as she dumps ice on the ground.
Before Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies purchased the shelter, Martineau tells me 36 dogs lived at the sanctuary.
Now, she's left with 15 after more than 20 were fostered or adopted.
"I think we put a lot of expectations on animals to just be able to handle this heat, and it is too much for them," she said.
Under too much heat, these dogs could experience heat illness, especially if they're elderly, puppies, or overweight.
"Onset of symptoms can be quick, and sometimes if your animal is displaying symptoms it might be too late," Nick Cullen with the Kern County Animal Shelter said.
Some of the symptoms of heat illness include heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat difficulty breathing, and excessive thirst among other signs according to the Humane Society.
"If you do see those signs, take your animal to a vet, and in all cases try to avoid the peak temperatures during the summer," Cullen said.
Bryana Abla, the vice president of the rescue, says the team is working to get all the dogs adopted or placed in foster homes so they can renovate the kennels to better manage the heat.
"We found somebody who can do trailer work, tractor work, and they came and flattened out these levels for us so we can put these new kennels," Abla said.
Once completed, Martineau says it will reopen as the county's first holding facility.
Martineau adds because of the current heatwave all the dogs have been moved off the property to an indoor location until it's safe to return them to the outdoor kennels.
"Now that we're hitting the heat, that's pushed me to get very creative," Martineau said.
If you would like to adopt or foster one of the dogs at the shelter, you can reach out to Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies or if you would like to donate to support the renovations, you can find them on Paypal or on the apps below.
Venmo: bbbrescue14
Zelle: bbbrescue2014@gmail.com
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