Cotswolds animal shelter issues urgent air conditioning plea amid June heatwave

An animal shelter in the Cotswolds is asking for the public’s help to keep their dogs and cats cool this summer, as the June heatwave has caused some of their veterinary to close in close to 30C heat. The Cotswolds Dogs and Cats Home (CDCH) is in need of “several” air conditioning units to better care for its stray animals.

Our furry friends struggle to regulate their body temperature as easily as we do, which can make them prone to heatstroke or exhaustion, and many of the dogs and cats at CDCH have already had a tough time of it. Because of this, many routine operations at the centre have had to be postponed in the interests of their animals, though urgent operations are still being carried out by Vale Vets.

The last few weeks of sunshine and warm temperatures have highlighted the Cotswold shelter’s growing need for adequate air conditioning as the summer looks set to be another scorcher, which could put even more pressure on the animal welfare charity. A spokesperson for CDCH said: “It’s getting hot and we need help from the public to be able to afford air conditioning units for the centre – our main concern is the vet suite.”

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A spokesperson for CDCH said: “It’s getting hot and we need help from the public to be able to afford air conditioning units for the centre. Our main concern is the vet suite.

“In order to ensure the animals at CDCH have a comfortable temperature in which to recover from surgery, we have had to cancel operations if the vet suite is too hot. This means we are supporting fewer animals than we could if we had an air conditioning unit.

“Dogs and cats can’t cool themselves down as easily as we can as they’re unable to sweat like us. Instead, they mainly use panting to keep cool, this can make them prone to overheating.