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RSPCA inundated with calls from dog owners

Christine Butler
BBC A black dog with a white nose is looking at the camera while swimming along in the pool BBC
Dina the springer spaniel is enjoying the delights of a session at the 32ft swimming pool for dogs in Cornwall

The RSPCA has seen a 74% surge in pet owners calls desperate for advice about how to look after their pets during a heatwave.

Visits to the charity's hot weather web pages are also soaring with over 1,000 clicks per day as owners seek urgent guidance to protect their pets.

Between 13 July and 9 August 2026, the pages received 30,931 visits, compared to 17,700 during the same period in 2025.

Dave Rich, head of operations at the RSPCA centre in Cornwall, said: "If you've got a small paddling pool or a wet towel for a dog to lie on and incentivize the dog by putting their water and food next to it, it will just allow their body temperature to keep nice and cool."

A Bulldog cross has one paw in the shallow pool and the other tentatively hanging above the water. There is a bowl of frozen food in the pool in a green pot.
Testing out the water, Bronson is stepping into a child's swimming pool to cool off

Rich said: "If you groom your dog regularly, it will lift of that layer of dead skin which can trap heat.

"Temptation is, everybody wants to go to the beach, it's not the best thing for a dog.

"Although once in the sea that's nice and cool for them, walking across that sand is a big "no no" for dogs.

"Tarmac gets hot this time of year as well so its making sure you get up nice and early in the morning, walk the dog and then again in the evening, still being aware of that heat beneath their paws," he said.

Rich also advises putting ice cubes in the water bowl and putting food in the fridge before putting it out and making frozen treats.

At the centre near St Columb, eight year old Bronson a Bulldog cross, enjoyed a range of frozen treats to keep him entertained.

These included liver paste with peanut butter in a wet pouch, a low calorie biscuit in some water, a hypoallergenic biscuit in water, Chappy meat all frozen and a small bowl of frozen fish.

A man is smiling at the camera with short curly black hair, a moustache and beard. He is wearing a blue t-shirt
Dave Rich, head of operations at the RSPCA in Cornwall said: "Walking across sand is a big no-no for dogs"

A swimming pool for dogs called Swim Dog has opened at the former Dairyland site near Newquay.

Julie Mclauchlan said she found a niche in the market for the service which allows dogs to find confidence in water and help with muscle and joint ailments.

"It's been tremendously busy, I'm generally busy anyway especially with repeat customers and locals but everyone is quite sensible not to take their dogs out in this heat.

"The pool is a lovely temperature so it's not got cold water shock like the sea can or rivers," she said.

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