Sen. Syverson advises citizens not to bring their dogs out for errands owing to the head advisories that went into effect.
On June 13, Syverson posted a warning to his constituents to mind the temperatures in their cars as they run errands.
"A heat advisory takes effect tomorrow. Please don't bring your dog along in the car when you run errands. Temps inside of a car can turn deadly in a matter of minutes," said Syverson on Facebook.
Heat advisories went into effect for Illinois on June 13.
The National Weather Service also released a Hazardous Weather Outlook notice. "This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois. This afternoon and tonight: dangerous heat and humidity will continue near and south of I-72 through this evening. Heat indices are expected to peak between 100 and 105 degrees today. There is a chance for thunderstorms late this evening and overnight. If storms move into the area, some could be severe producing damaging winds and large hail. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. Friday through Wednesday: a few strong to severe storms may linger south of I-70 Friday morning. Dangerously hot and humid conditions may return to the region next week."
On a 75-degree day, the inside of a parked car can climb to 110 degrees in minutes. In 20 minutes on a 90-degree day, the same car can get up to 130 degrees inside. Although we humans can sweat and regulate our body temperatures, this extreme heat can still be deadly, especially for infants and toddlers. Dogs have a harder time adjusting to heat than most humans, so being stuck in a hot car can quickly become life-threatening. When the temperature rises, dogs will try to cool off by panting, and their anxiety level will likely rise in relation to their discomfort. After all, imagine wearing a fur coat in a small, 100-degree room, not knowing where you are or where your friends are. Panic can easily set in, making matters worse.
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