Hot Asphalt Pavement, Pets, and Hot Asphalt Tips to Protect Your Pet

Dog owners know the joy their pets have to take a stroll. Just putting off the leash or using words such as "walk," can send your dog into a frenzied state of excitement.

However, if it's an extremely hot day, or even at night, it can be a full day of sunshine, and temperature (above the 80°F) are heightened on black asphalt. This means that the temperatures on the surface could reach 140 degrees. Human skin can get burned by these temperatures. That's the reason we wear shoes, but the skin that covers dogs' feet is equally likely to be burned on these surfaces.

Find the web for the term asphalt-burned pet feet, and you will find an awful array of images that prove this. The skin is raw and burned, which could cause severe pain for pets.

The easiest solution is to refrain from going on walks or walking on asphalt surfaces. This is especially true in the evenings because the denseness of asphalt retains temperatures into the night. Mornings are the best option since the cool night air cools off, but not completely, especially in the case of a heat wave, which brings days after days of scorching temperatures and more cooling at night.

Of course, many dogs require (and ought to!) take a walk more often than once per day. Therefore, the advice of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is to can take the dog for a walk on grass, "wherever possible, and avoid walking in the middle of the day."

A pavement that is shaded by trees is always a better option as well. The work is underway to transform the black asphalt into a white one, thus reducing the amount of sun's rays that has proven effective with roofs over the last 15 or several years.

There are preliminary results that suggest this isn't an effective way to reduce temperatures all. The first is that the reduction in temperature is only 10-15 degrees which isn't enough to spare the animals' suffering. The reflected light actually increases the air temperature over and around the street, which can reduce the benefits. The white paint on the pavement can nevertheless reduce the overall heat gain in the region; however, it's more complex than it might initially appear.

Just as an animal lover who is responsible will never leave their pet in a car during an extremely hot day, the person also wouldn't walk his pet on the pavement on an early day. Choose grass and plan your walks for morning and evening hours, possibly at a dog-friendly park.