Vet warns owners not to leave dogs tied up at the beach and shares must-know signs of heat stroke

An Australian man has slammed ‘irresponsible pet owners’ for tying up their dogs while they go for a swim. 

Posting to Facebook, the Bronte resident shared images he took at the weekend of two dogs tied to a fence by the sand with their owners nowhere in sight.  

While the man said he did not want to pass judgement, he did want to remind dog owners tying animals up unattended is no way to treat their pets. 

‘It is not cool. Not fair on your dog… Not fair on the rest of the beachgoers,’ they wrote. 

Australian Veterinary Association president Dr Bronwyn Orr agreed and told Yahoo the post should act as a reminder of the dangers leaving dogs in the heat can cause we the weather warms up.

A disgruntled beachgoer, from Sydney, has slammed pet owners for leaving their dogs tied up and unattended while they go for a swim

Australian vet Dr Bronwyn Orr said the post is a reminder to owners not to leave their dogs alone at the beach on hot days as they could suffer from heat stroke (stock image)

It’s not known how long the pets were tied up for or what their owners were doing but the disgruntled dog lover said he had seen instances like this before. 

He said he had witnessed some small dogs slip through the gaps of the fence they were tied to and fall off the edge of the wall on more than one occasion. 

‘Luckily both dogs survived but could have been a different story if it wasn’t for the quick surfer dude just dropping everything to rescue the dog,’ he recalled.  

Dr Bronwyn, who often works in emergency vet clinics, said dogs need more supervision that humans who can make decisions on their own to avoid potential risks like heat stroke.

She does not recommend owners leave their dogs unattended especially if it is hot and they have no access to shade or water. 

The animal doctor said if you’re struggling with the heat, your dog most likely is too. 

‘Heat stress is one of those things where it can sometimes be quite frustrating because a lot of the time it’s preventable,’ she said. 

‘Every year dogs die from heat stress, so it’s just something for people to be aware of.’

Owners should be aware of signs of heat stress or heat stroke including excessive panting, rapid breathing, drooling, lying down or collapsing, or red gums.

Dr Bronwyn suggests if you want to go to the beach and take your pup along, ensure it is an animal friendly spot so you can take them on the sand with you

She said while all dogs can suffer heat stroke, some will struggle more than others like those who are brachycephalic as they can’t regulate their temperatures well due to their short snouts. 

Dr Bronwyn suggests if you want to go to the beach and take your pup along, ensure it is an animal friendly spot so you can take them on the sand with you. 

‘If you aren’t able to do that, then I think the reality is it’s probably best that they just stay home, it’ll be a lot safer, and they won’t be at risk of getting heatstroke,’ she said.