Three dogs die in the same week from heat stroke

Visitors are being warned right now after three dogs died in the same week from heat stroke.

This happened last week at Enchanted Rock Park. 

Doug Cochran, superintendent of Texas Parks and Wildlife shows us just how hot temperatures can get on the trails of Enchanted Rock Park. On Wednesday it was 135 degrees.

Last Sunday one dog passed away from heat stroke at Enchanted Rock. 6 days before, the same thing happened to 2 dogs from the same family. So now they're warning people to keep their pets at home. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife says so far this summer there have been 35 human heat related injuries and 4 dog deaths at Enchanted Rock. We took the temperature gun back out after clouds blocked the sun a little. And it dropped to 122 degrees.

Triple digit heat temps started early this summer in Texas. Which explains why Cochran says this August is the slowest August Enchanted Rock had since 2013. He says if folks have a choice either visit a trail early in the morning or late in the evening where it's a little cooler. 

But even in the shade and what seems to be cooler, you should be very careful.

Cochran says temperatures sometimes in the shade can be higher because the darker colored rocks retain more heat. He says the folks working at the park have seen dogs get hurt before but they usually recover. He says it's been a long time since they've had a pet die during the summer. To help fight heat stroke or exhaustion for humans, Cochran also suggests bringing a half gallon of water per person per hour when on the trails.