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ASHLAND — Dogs at the Ashland County Dog Shelter don’t have air conditioning, but staff there assure the canines are fine — even as the region trudges through a heat advisory.
Shannon Hamilton, the shelter’s manager, said he uses fans that move cooler air from the hallways to the “pods,” where the dogs are kept.
The measure has kept temperatures at an average of 79 degrees, he said.
Staff has also limited exercise times outside and regularly give the dogs cold water and treats.
“We haven’t had any issues with any of the dogs,” Hamilton said. “They’re doing pretty well considering … 79 is not a bad temperature. They’re doing good.”
The shelter’s two west-facing pod gets the hottest, Hamilton said. Two of the 28 dogs at the shelter are currently in that pod, he said. But one of them is slated for adoption soon.
“So the one left will get moved to another cooler pod. We won’t have any dogs in the westside pods where it gets the hottest,” he said.
That move will allow him to essentially shut down the pods to conserve energy and electricity costs.
Filtration system cause of hotness
Hamilton said the buildings kennel pods each have an air filtration system that pulls outside air to the inside to provide fresh air.
“Those come on nine times every hour, and they were pulling hot air inside and making these pods extra hot,” he said. On Monday, temperatures reached 83 degrees.
The solution was simple: turn them off during the day.
“When we turned them off, it took a few hours for the temperatures to go down, but they went down to around 79 or 78,” he said.
The filtration system turns on at night now to circulate cooler, fresh air through the pods.
Heat wave
Ashland County and most of Ohio has been under a heat advisory since June 22. Heat indexes are forecast to soar up to a “real feel” of 103 degrees.
The National Weather Service’s advisory lasts through 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Thunderstorms are predicted for Wednesday, with a high of 88.
Hamilton said staff and volunteers have been trained to look out for heat-related illnesses in dogs. If they see the below symptoms, he said, “we have proper steps to follow” and “how to move forward.”
Dogs are more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heatstroke because they’re unable to cool themselves by sweating, according to PetMD.
Signs of heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke
- Excessive panting and drooling
- Weakness and lethargy
- Dark pink or red gums
- Vomiting and diarrhea (with or without blood)
- Fainting or collapsing
- Increased heart rates and pulse
- Temperature of 104 or above
- Disorientation
- Seizures
- Death
Hamilton said no dogs under the shelter’s care have experienced heat-related illnesses so far this year. They didn’t experience it last year, either, he said.
Are there plans to install AC units in the pods?
Hamilton said there are “unofficial talks” happening, but that there is nothing set in stone.
Nikki Hiller, the clerk for the Ashland County Board of Commissioners, said there are no plans on the books for installing air conditioning units in the pods.
“Hopefully, it will come out as we progress further in the summer,” he said. “For the time being we have the problem solved. We have a good plan in place.”
