Are you going to travel by car with your pet? Here are the precautions to take

Are you planning to travel by car with your pet in the coming days? The Republican National Guard (GNR) has released a series of precautions to take, at a time when most districts in the country are under alert due to the heat.

On Facebook, the authority warned that “the temperature inside a car exposed to the sun can increase by 10°C in just 10 minutes and reach temperatures close to 70°C,” urging people “not to leave your best friend inside the car.”

Reminding that “when the temperature rises, it’s necessary to take some precautions with our pets,” the GNR advised the following:

– Don’t leave your dog inside the car. In summer, temperatures are high, making the car interior unbearable;
– Avoid walking your dog during very hot hours; do it in the morning and evening, avoiding the hottest period between 11 am and 5 pm when temperatures are highest;
– Always have clean and fresh water available;
– Always give your pet access to shade;
– Limit exercise on hot days.

It should be noted that the districts of Bragança, Vila Real, and Guarda were under red alert, the highest on the scale, due to the heat until late Saturday afternoon, and only Lisbon, Leiria, and Faro escaped the warnings due to hot weather.

In the coming days, according to information from the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), maximum temperatures are expected to range between 38°C (Bragança) and 22°C (Viana do Castelo).