PORTLAND – As Maine mourns the loss of a comfort dog who died in a hot vehicle last week, one local veterinarian is reminding pet owners of the health risk of hot vehicles, which rises along with the mercury.

“I really try to encourage people not to leave their pets in their cars,” said Kate Domenico, an emergency veterinarian at Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care.

The Maine Department of Public Safety last week announced that Baxter, a three-year-old chocolate lab kept as a comfort dog for emergency dispatchers, was found deceased on May 28 in a state vehicle at the Bangor Regional Communications Center.

The vehicle’s air conditioning malfunctioned, according to the department, which is reviewing the incident. A department spokesperson did not respond to a request from Spectrum News for more information Monday. 

Domenico declined to comment on the incident, but offered several tips for pet owners to help keep their dogs in particular safe as the weather gets warmer.

“It’s pretty crazy how quickly the temperature in the car can heat up,” she said.

The temperature inside a vehicle, especially when left in the sun, can rise to well over 120 degrees within mere minutes in the summertime, Domenico said. She said leaving the windows open a crack does not offer enough ventilation to keep pets cool.  

Even with an engine running with air conditioning on, she said, it’s best not to rely on the vehicle to keep pets cool unattended.

The best advice, Domenico said, is to leave pets at home, or make sure to take them out of the vehicle while it’s parked. For those who cannot avoid taking their pets with them, she said, it’s a good idea to make sure they are supervised in the vehicle at all times.

“If you have a family member that can stay in the car with them that’s ideal,” she said. “They can monitor the pet and monitor the temperature of the car, make sure it’s running with a/c on. I think that’s a safer bet, but it’s a risk for sure.”

Domenico noted other hot-weather risks for dogs. If a dog is kept at home during the day, make sure there is plenty of water and shade available. Also, she said, dogs can get sunburned on their noses, the tips of the ears, and elsewhere if they have white or short fur.  

It’s impractical, if not impossible, to use sunscreen on dogs, Domenico said, so it’s best to simply limit exposure to the sun.  

“Even a short walk down the block could cause a lot of problems,” she said. 

Heat can come from below, too. Asphalt, Domenico said, gets very hot in the summer, and the pads on the bottoms of most dogs’ paws can get burnt. When walking them, she said, it’s best to keep them off hot pavement, or invest in small booties to protect paws.