Is your dog getting enough electrolytes in this heat wave?

It’s hot, and the City wants New Yorkers to chill. As part of its Heat Emergency Plan, the Mamdani Administration has activated hundreds of cooling centers across the boroughs, expanded public pool hours, and dispatched 21 Cooling Outreach On-Location (COOL) vans into the steaming streets to provide residents medical care, meals, transport to facilities, and “resources like electrolytes and sunscreen.”

What resources are there for non-human New Yorkers? In Manhattan, there are four pet-friendly cooling centers—and three are inside Petco stores. (The other is a New York State Assembly member’s office). Service animals are allowed in any cooling centers.

Petco began a partnership with the City in 2021 to advertise its stores as cooling centers for pets and their owners. The company expanded the offer to all of its stores nationwide in 2023, a year with a record number of heat-related deaths across the country.

Petco told Straus News that its stores “welcome leashed pets of all breeds, shapes and sizes,” offering “clean, fresh water during regular business hours, as well as expert guidance and products to help keep pets safe and cool.” Straus News visited stores at Union Square and Turtle Bay to take a look.

Neither location had signage outside to advertise that it was a cooling center. And as the temperature hit 95 degrees at midday on July 2, staff said they hadn’t yet noticed many customers visiting specifically to escape the sun. But managers at both locations said they were ready to welcome visitors.

Tennille Pratt, general manager at the Union Square store, said each location had a slightly different setup. She pointed out some benches by the grooming salon, where guests could sit and rehydrate. At the Turtle Bay location, there was no designated place to sit, but the manager, Chris, said chairs were available on request. He pointed out a water fountain at the back of the store with a pile of bowls on top – for humans to fill to quench their companions’ thirst. He also recommended the second floor for the strongest air conditioning.

In addition to complimentary A/C and H2O, Petco sells products to protect animals from heat-related illness. For example, Chris told Straus that if staff see dogs trot in with bare paws on hot days, they recommend paw protection to prevent paw burn. For about a year, he estimated, they have also been selling bags of doggy electrolytes, which pets can consume either in a bowl or straight from the spout. As of July 2, the store was waiting on shipments of other cooling products, such as cooling mats–sort of like frozen water beds–and cooling vests.

Chris stressed that heat protection was vital for pets, especially dogs with heavy coats.

There are ruffly one million dogs and cats in NYC, and extreme temperatures put them at risk. In fact, dogs are more susceptible to heat stroke than humans because they absorb heat faster than us and struggle to cool down.

The City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene released a June 11 advisory to veterinarians, stressing that extreme heat poses “life-threatening risks to pets.” The advisory included recommendations for how to counsel clients on protecting their pets from heat-related illnesses, which include “heat stress, heatstroke, sunburn, and burns to paw pads.”

The American Animal Hospital Association site also has tips for pet heat safety.

Petco stores are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., depending on the day of the week and location. The Manhattan stores are located at 44 Union Square East, 991 2nd Avenue and 1280 Lexington Avenue.