KANAB, UTAH
Tips to keep your pets cool in extreme summer heat
To help pet owners keep their pets cool despite the rising temperatures, Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, is offering the below tips:
- Exercise dogs during the cooler morning or evening hours, not in the intense afternoon heat.
- Keep pets indoors during the hottest parts of the day. Quick walks and bathroom breaks are fine in extreme heat but try to keep pets in the shade.
- Be aware of the temperature of the sidewalk, asphalt, sand, or even packed dirt as these can cause burns to your pet’s paw pads if they are too hot.
- If pets do spend time outside during the day, ensure that they have access to shade at all hours of the day.
- Dogs on tethers are especially vulnerable because they could become tangled out of reach of shade or water.
- Provide pets with fresh, cool water at all times as most dogs won’t drink hot water no matter how thirsty they are.
- Dogs who are older or overweight, have a thick coat or a pushed-in nose are especially at risk of overheating.
- Dogs with bald patches or minimal coats may need sunscreen. Consult a veterinarian.
- Never leave your pet in a parked car when the outside temperature is above 70 degrees.
- Many studies show that the temperature inside a car on a 70 -degree day can rise to 89 degrees in ten minutes, and to 104 degrees in as little as a half hour.
Dogs and cats can’t sweat like humans, so they pant to lower their body temperature. If they’re inside a car, recycling hot air, panting gives no relief, and heat stroke can occur quickly.
“Heat stroke can occur when an animal’s temperature rises to a critical level,” says Dr. Erin Katribe, Medical Director, Best Friends Animal Society. “Normal body temperatures for dogs and cats range from 100 to 102.5 degrees. When a dog’s temperature rises to 108 degrees, or to 106 degrees for a cat, they can suffer irreparable organ damage, or worse.”
According to Katribe, signs of heat stroke include heavy panting that does not resolve as the pet rests, increasing distress, a tongue color that is dark red to almost purple, weakness or collapse, hyper-salivation, vomiting and labored breathing.
If you suspect a dog or cat is suffering from heat stroke move him to a cooler environment immediately and apply cool water to the abdomen, ears, and footpads. Once they are stable, bring them to a veterinary clinic as quickly as possible. Katribe warns, things may be happening internally that are not obvious from the outside.
—Submitted
WASHINGTON
Lawmakers introduce legislation to protect American farmland and national security sites from foreign adversaries
This week Rep. Mike Thompson (D- St. Helena) and Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher (WI-08) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen and expand protections around national security sites, critical infrastructure, and farmland.
“Protecting national security and food security go hand in hand in our region – which is why it is vital to know who owns land around national security sites,” said Thompson. “The bipartisan legislation I am introducing with Chairman Gallagher will help identify foreign actors who are seeking to purchase land near military installations while maintaining food security throughout our country.”
“The United States cannot allow foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party and its proxies to acquire real estate near sensitive sites like military bases or telecom infrastructure, potentially exploiting our critical technology and endangering our servicemembers. This bill gives CFIUS jurisdiction over foreign adversary real estate transactions to guard against the threat of the CCP and other adversaries purchasing land for malign purposes, and it also encourages CFIUS to consider food security issues as it evaluates the national security risk of a given transaction,” said Gallagher.
“Safeguarding our food supply chains and national security from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party will always be a top priority of mine. We must ensure our government agencies have the necessary resources to stop bad actors from gaining a foothold in our homeland. I am proud to introduce this legislation as a continuation of my efforts to stop the CCP and all foreign adversaries from putting our food supply and national security at risk,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04).
“This issue raises serious security concerns for our community and the critical military operations at Travis. That’s why I greatly appreciate this important bipartisan legislation and look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to protect our communities and defend our national security,” said Rep. John Garamendi (CA-08).
“A resilient food supply is essential to national security, which is why the rise of foreign investments in our nation’s farmlands deserves increased scrutiny. I have long supported adding the Secretary of Agriculture on CFIUS, which will equip the Committee with the expertise needed to identify potential threats to our national security,” said Rep. Lucas. “I’m pleased to be an original cosponsor and commend Congressman Gallagher for his work on this important legislation.”
An entity called Flannery Associates has spent nearly $1 billion over the last five years to become the largest landowner in Solano County. The land purchases go up to the fence of Travis Air Force Base, the home of the largest wing of the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command.
The United States Department of the Treasury Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency committee authorized to review certain transactions involving foreign investment in the United States and certain real estate transactions by foreign persons, in order to determine the effect of such transactions on the national security of the United States. However, there are significant gaps in the current process.
The bill text can be found at https://mikethompson.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/mikethompson.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/thompson-gallagher-land-purchase-bill-text.pdf
—Submitted
