When Temperatures Rise, So Do the Stakes: Our Commitment to Your Dog's Safety.
Recent reports of dogs dying while in the care of Southern California board-and-train facilities are heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the families who entrusted someone with a beloved member of their family and experienced an unimaginable loss.
While the circumstances of each incident are individual, these tragedies are an important reminder of how quickly extreme heat can become dangerous for dogs—and why the safety protocols of anyone entrusted with your pet matter.
At Burbank Pet Sitting, safety is not an add-on to our services. It is the foundation of how we care for every dog entrusted to us.
A Different Kind of Boarding Environment
Burbank Pet Sitting is not a board-and-train facility. Our boarding service takes place inside a fully air-conditioned home, where dogs receive individualized care in a residential environment.
Just as importantly, someone is on-site 24/7 while boarding dogs.
That means dogs aren't simply placed somewhere and checked on hours later. Their behavior, comfort, hydration, activity level, and overall well-being are continually observed throughout the day.
Crates may be used appropriately for rest, feeding, or safety, but dogs are not routinely left crated for extended periods. With the exception of overnight sleeping, no dog in our boarding care remains in a crate for more than two hours at a time.
Our Heat Protocols for In-Home Boarding
During a Los Angeles heat wave, the normal routine changes. When daytime temperatures are dangerously high:
Outdoor trips are limited to approximately five-minute supervised potty breaks.
Playtime and activity take place indoors in air conditioning.
Fresh water is readily available throughout the home.
Dogs are continually monitored for changes in behavior or signs of heat stress.
Extended outdoor time is avoided during the hottest parts of the day.
After sunset, when temperatures have dropped to a safe level, dogs may have additional supervised outdoor time.
Even then, access to fresh water and active supervision remain priorities.
A scheduled routine is never more important than the dog standing in front of us.
Heat Safety Applies to Dog Walks and Drop-In Visits, Too
Our heat protocols extend beyond boarding.
Burbank Pet Sitting will not take a dog on a normal walk when temperatures exceed 90°F.
Instead, the visit is modified for safety. We provide a brief potty break outside and then continue the visit indoors with play, enrichment, affection, or other appropriate activity.
We will never continue walking a dog in unsafe conditions simply because a walk was what the client originally booked.
Not Every Dog Handles Heat the Same Way
Temperature alone also doesn't tell the entire story. Breed, age, coat, body condition, health history, activity level, and anatomy can dramatically affect a dog's ability to tolerate heat.
Our pet care professionals are trained to understand these differences and recognize that a temperature one dog tolerates may be dangerous for another. Brachycephalic breeds, senior dogs, puppies, overweight dogs, dogs with certain medical conditions, and other heat-sensitive dogs may require even greater precautions.
Individualized care means making decisions for the dog—not simply following the schedule.
Supervision Matters
One of the most important questions pet parents can ask any boarding or pet care provider is:
Who is actually watching my dog?
Technology, cameras, thermostats, routines, and written policies can all contribute to safety. But they do not replace an attentive human being who can recognize when something isn't right.
Because our boarding takes place in my home and I remain on-site, I can continually assess the dogs in my care and respond when circumstances change.
That level of supervision is intentional.
Questions Pet Parents Should Ask
Recent events may understandably have pet owners taking a closer look at where—and with whom—they leave their dogs.
We encourage that.
Before choosing any boarding, training, walking, daycare, or pet-sitting provider, ask about:
Heat and severe-weather protocols
Air-conditioning and temperature monitoring
How long dogs may be crated
How often dogs are physically checked
Whether someone remains on-site
Staff training
Emergency procedures
How care is modified for senior, brachycephalic, or medically vulnerable dogs
A professional pet care provider should be comfortable answering those questions.
Safety Comes Before the Schedule
Dogs depend entirely on the people caring for them to recognize danger and make good decisions on their behalf.
Sometimes professional pet care means taking the walk.
Sometimes it means not taking the walk.
Sometimes it means changing the day's plans, shortening outdoor time, moving activities inside, or deciding that today's routine needs to look completely different from yesterday's.
At Burbank Pet Sitting, we will always choose the option we believe is safest for the dog in our care. Because when you entrust us with a member of your family, that responsibility is one we take very seriously.
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