Because dog walking is the primary activity I have these days during our Covid-quarantine, I notice more things…
When walking a dog in New York City there are moments when we are grateful or even excited when our dog finally makes their poop, usually after several blocks of sniffing.
And, I am as much a fan of putting a positive spin on things as the next guy.
But…
When the NYC sanitation department thinks my dog’s poop earns the “special events” designation…
Dog walk in Central Park juxtapositions the mundane and the macabre.
It is one thing to hear the news and another to see it when taking the dog for a walk in Central Park.
My morning walk with Pax’e usually takes us from Central Park West at Ninety Seventh Street across the park to Ninety Seventh Street and Fifth Avenue.
It didn’t come as a surprise that Mt. Sinai was setting up hospital tents in the park just north of Ninety Seventh Street at Fifth Avenue. But like anything we think we are prepared for, sometimes when we actually see it, we realize we are not.
In human history, crises like this one are so often outlined by the juxtaposition of the mundane and the macabre.
Pax’s poses for her picture while the hospital tents go up behind her.
You could almost miss them as you look at the cute dog in the foreground.
My phone says it’s 87 degrees as I type this on June 20, 2021, 3pm. (Just wait until July and August…)
This afternoon I was walking south on Amsterdam Avenue when I saw a cute fluffy dog headed north. We were both waiting for the light to change at Ninety Seventh Street. The dog caught my eye because it was wearing a head halter and if those are too tight, a dog can’t pant correctly which is a problem in the heat. But that seemed fine and the dog was panting appropriately.
Then I saw the feet. The dog stood on the dark asphalt waiting for the light to change then began to lift one paw up off the pavement, then rotated to the next, and the next until the light changed. At that point the dog hopped like a person walking across hot sand. The owner was not paying attention and was unaware of her dog’s discomfort.
The Vets-Now website has an article outlining the dangers of hot pavement and just how hot is hot…
If the outside temperature is a pleasant 25C (77F), there’s little wind and humidity is low, asphalt and tarmac can reach a staggering 52C (125F).
This can rise to 62C (143F) when the mercury hits 31C (87F).
It’s worth bearing in mind that an egg can fry in five minutes at 55C (131F) while skin destruction can occur in just one minute at 52C (125F).
Iain Harrison Iain is Vets Now’s senior communications manager.
What to do?
Go out early.
Go out late.
If you have to go out in the heat of the day – be quick about it.
Look for the shade, and don’t have your dog standing on the dark asphalt.
Luckily for Pax’e, I don’t tolerate the heat well, so she is always hiding with me from the sun in the shade of buildings, trees, scaffolding, and awnings while we avoid the dark asphalt like it’s flowing lava. Another lucky break for Pax’e is that her feet have long hair covering the foot pads. This can act as a kind of insulation against the heat of the street and it requires me to wipe/wash her feet every time we come in. She may disagree that the washing is a benefit, but it helps with cooling and lets me inspect her feet.
There are hosts of suggestions to be found online that offer remedies for dog’s feet on hot pavement. These can include booties, stickies, paw wax, and passive techniques like stay out of the sun, don’t stand on the dark asphalt with your dog, cool their feet when you come in. And…
…Pay attention to your dog’s behavior and believe what your dog is telling you.
Dante told us…
When NYC summers were too hot for him…
…he’d climb in the cool porcelain tub and fall asleep.
