Environmental disasters, such as heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and earthquakes, have become more frequent and severe, largely due to climate change. These events have negative effects on both human and animal welfare. During a disaster, companion animals are at a high risk of being separated from their families, abandoned, or injured. In extreme cases, they may end up dying.

Given these serious consequences, a team of researchers was interested in exploring the perspectives of U.S. dog guardians on environmental disasters, with a particular focus on extreme heat. In hot weather, dogs commonly suffer from heat-related illness, which is a life-threatening condition. Factors such as brachycephaly (being flat-faced), old age, and obesity increase their risk.

In April 2025, the researchers administered an online survey to understand:

• Guardians’ perceptions of the risks of extreme heat on dogs’ health and welfare
• Whether guardians have taken or would take any measures to protect their dogs from the risks of extreme heat and other severe weather events
• The effect of extreme weather events on the relationship that guardians have with their dogs

A total of 421 responses were collected. Most respondents were white (81%), earned less than US$90,000 a year (57%), and had a two-year degree or higher level of education (68%). Over half owned one dog (58%) and had more than 10 years of experience with dogs (54%). The vast majority (93%) reported an average summer temperature of 80°F or above in their area of residence.

The study found that respondents engaged their dogs in a variety of outdoor activities:

• Walking: Most walked their dogs one or two times a day (50%) for 15 to 30 minutes (61%).
• Running: Some ran with their dogs once or twice a month (21%), usually for less than 15 minutes (51%).
• Playing/training: Many played with or trained their dogs at least once a week (42%) for 15 to 30 minutes (53%).

Most guardians responded to summer temperatures by shortening their walks (40%), runs (37%), and playing/training time (35%) by “a little bit.” Having a brachycephalic breed didn’t influence how respondents exercised their dogs during very hot weather. However, more guardians living in regions with summer temperatures 100°F and above shortened their playing/training time by “quite a bit” compared to those who reported cooler temperatures. Bringing water along was the most popular response to summer weather (85.5%).

On a hypothetical day where temperatures were above 80°F, respondents were most concerned about a dog locked in a car with windows closed (90.5%). However, far fewer were concerned when the car windows were cracked open (65%), even though this does nothing to prevent dogs from overheating.

Most respondents correctly associated heatstroke with slowness, stiffness, or reluctance to move (86%) and wobbly, uncoordinated movements (83%). While the majority considered moving the dog to a cooler area (93%) and giving the dog cold drinking water (82%) helpful for heatstroke, fewer identified effective active cooling methods such as water sprays (60%) or cold-water immersion (55%). When it came to their own dogs showing signs of heatstroke, most respondents (45%) said they would attempt to cool them down and seek veterinary help only if there was no relief.

Guardians who lived in areas where extreme weather events were more common were more likely to be worried that their dogs would be impacted negatively. The majority of respondents (83%) reported that they wouldn’t evacuate if they couldn’t bring their dogs. Most had taken some preparatory measures for safeguarding their dogs during these events. These included having transportation plans in case of evacuation (78%) and identifying pet-friendly shelters and evacuation locations (76%). Most had searched online for information about evacuating with their dogs (47%), and talked to their veterinarian about protecting their dogs from extreme weather events (57%). Less than half (46%) had a disaster kit on hand, however. Not surprisingly, those who had experienced more extreme weather events tended to be more prepared.

Overall, the authors concluded that there was a high level of knowledge of the risks of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, to dogs’ health and welfare. However, there was minimal change to the dogs’ routine activities to avoid these risks. And although many guardians actively sought disaster preparedness information and had readied themselves somewhat, there was still room for improvement.

While this study represents just a small sample of U.S. dog guardians, it highlights the gaps between their concerns about extreme weather events and the steps they’ve taken to prepare and respond. Advocates can help address these gaps by providing public education on heat-related illness and disaster preparedness and, more broadly, calling for companion animals to be represented in government emergency management and response.