Yellow-level considerations

Recently, on a scorching midday, as I rode my bike home, licking a grape-flavoured lolly, the following thought occurred to me: “Gone are the days when we could have eaten lollies in a leisurely fashion.”

Affected by breeze and sun, my refreshing frozen treat was melting with alarming rapidity, purple droplets blowing onto me and my clothing. Within about three minutes of riding, there was only one small piece of purple left on the stick.

In a recent yellow-level hot-spell warning issued by the Meteorological Service (TTMS), humans are advised (among other things) to “wear appropriate clothing, stay hydrated at all times, and keep out of direct sunlight to avoid sunburn. Open appropriate windows, vents and doors in your home to ventilate at all times.”

The TTMS further advises that “high temperatures can be hazardous to health, especially to the elderly, sick adults, and young children.”

I would recommend that in future warnings, the Met Office includes animals on the list of beings vulnerable to heat. Unlike human beings, who can consciously seek relief from discomfort or danger, many animals are dependent upon human caretakers for their general well-being, hydration included.

In TT, it is not uncommon to see dogs tied on short chains, often without shelter and/or a bowl of water nearby. In many cases, if there is a bowl, it is empty, either because the dog has knocked it over or because it has not been filled. In cases where the bowl contains water, especially if it is exposed to the direct sun, it is way too hot for living beings to drink.

As not many yards in Tobago are fenced, people who do not want their dogs straying may tie them or confine them to kennels. Many kennels are like small wooden boxes with galvanised iron roofs and, in some cases, are made of nothing but galvanised iron.

On a regular sunny day, either of those models can be like a canine sweatbox. On "yellow-level hot-spell" days they become more like ovens. Consider the experience of the dog incarcerated in such a furnace (with or without water) who cannot open the door to seek relief.

What are possible solutions?

If you must tie your dog, use a long tether so that he/she has more freedom to move to a shaded area. Also ensure that there is no way the dog can accidentally be hanged or strangled.

Ensure that you leave water for your dog in a shaded area, and in a receptacle that cannot easily be overturned (eg a bucket).

Some may say "Easier said than done"...meaning, how is it possible to leave water for animals when there is no water in the taps? In the same way that humans who do not have water go to fill five-litre water bottles and jugs at available water sources (eg friends' taps, rivers, etc), some of that water can be used for the benefit of animals in one’s care.

Many cows, goats and sheep are also at the mercy of the hellish temperatures. Most of them are tied in open parcels of land or at the roadsides as day-long victims of the sun.

Once, when I asked someone why Tobago farmers do not seem to leave water for their grazing livestock, I was informed that this is a precaution against people putting poison in the water. Whether or not this is true, the fact remains that livestock can also suffer from thirst and heatstroke.

It has been reported that, throughout TT, the extreme heat is causing farmers to lose not only crops, but also animals. Heat stress has been fatal to thousands of chickens; cattle farmers have reported that their animals are becoming emaciated owing to the lessened quantity and quality of grass required for their well-being and survival.

All living beings need water to live. Please leave water in trays or bowls for birds, insects, reptiles and less visible creatures who may be on your property.

Please also consider the lives of animals being transported – eg chickens crammed together in hot, stacked crates, and dogs and livestock standing in scorching sun in open truck trays.

If you see someone’s animals suffering in the heat, speak to them about it, or make some effort to lessen the suffering if there is no one around and you are in a position to do so.

We are in this heat together and must be vigilant for the well-being of all.