Some tips for taking care of your pets include:

• Make sure that fresh, cool water is available for your pet at all times in a heavy bowl to avoid spills. This is especially important when you're not at home. Never use a metal dish in the hot sun. Clean the bowl daily.
• Feed a little less during the summer / a little more in the winter, after consulting with a veterinarian.
• Brush and comb your pets daily to free them of loose shedding hair.
• Check every day for fleas and ticks.
• Do not use insect sprays, weed killers or allow antifreeze to spill in any area frequented by pets. Animals can ingest poisons by licking paws or fur.
• Exercise your pet in the early morning or evening in the summer when it is cooler to avoid heat exhaustion.
• Make sure that shelter is available at all times. In the summer your pet needs shade from the sun. In the winter it needs protection from cold drafts.
• If you must tie your dog up, contact Animal Control for safety tips and information on the requirements. Consider a runner rather than a chain — it is more humane and allows more movement.
• Check your animal's fur daily to prevent plants or other things from getting tangled and matted in the hair. Foreign objects can work their way into your pets' ears or eyes and cause discomfort or injury.
• Heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes. A veterinarian should check your pet yearly by a blood test for this disease. Preventative medication should be given according to instructions.
• View information on how to discourage wildlife (PDF)