With the summer finally (apparently) here and the school holidays upon us, it's a good time to remember that hot days in cars can be uncomfortable for our pets. While it's tempting to bring the family dog to the beach for a run, getting them there can be torturous for any animal if they're exposed to too much heat.
Get some shade and some water
So, it's good to know the signs of over-heating in a pet, and these include dry or pale gums, weakness, increased heart rate and excessive panting. What should you do if you see any of these symptoms? Try and pull over, find a shady spot, and let your pet cool off with some water to drink and even to spray on them.
"Never leave pets alone in hot cars, even if it's just for a few minutes - 10 minutes can be enough to prove fatal. Leaving a window open will not help, it won't protect them against heatstroke. If you do notice they are overheating, give them a drink of water, bring them to a cool area and spray them with cool water," says Anna Cullen from AA Ireland.
Beware when bringing them for long walks in hot weather too, as the extra exertion heats them up (just like it does you or me) so keep an eye out for shady spots to rest in.
With everyone out and about there's also more chance of you encountering an animal - be it a family pet or a farm animal - on the road while you're driving. If you do, just slow down. Animals can act unpredictably around cars, and so the slower you go the safer you are. Worth remembering too that collisions with larger animals can severely damage your car as well as injure or kill the animal, and you even run the risk of injury to yourself.
Always drive slow around animals
Always slow your speed when overtaking horse-drawn vehicles and riders on horseback as well - remember all usual overtaking rules still apply, so you may need to wait for a place where overtaking is permitted and safe.
"The main thing really is to be alert when driving. Drivers have a responsibility to share the road with other road users, be it other vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians or even animals. The unpredictable nature of animals means you should be extra vigilant if you spot one," says Cullen.
"Take particular care in areas where animals might be present, such as scenic areas, woodlands, open fields, passing riding schools and in housing estates. Watch out for road signs too.
Call the Gardai
"If you spot an animal at night through your full headlights, slow down and dip your beams. Full headlights can scare an animal, causing it to freeze - that's the last thing you want if they're blocking your path. Stop if you need to allow the animal to pass, but only do that if it's safe. If you're on a motorway, only stop if the animal is directly blocking your path," she adds.
If the worst happens, remember that your responsibility is to the safety of those in your car and other road users. Try to pull in safely and make sure that you use your hazard warning lights. Don't try to move an injured animal as not only might you make the injury worse, the animal might panic and thrash about injuring itself further and possibly hurting you. Call your local Garda station if there is an injury to you or the animal, if there's damage to your vehicle, or if the collision poses a hazard to other road users. Collisions involving farm animals and domestic pets must be reported to Gardaí, as they are considered to be their owner's property.