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RIYADH: If you think you can barely stand the scorching summer heat, think about how your pets feel.

The hot months can be a brutal time for stray animals and house pets. Normal body temperature ranges for dogs and cats are higher than for human beings, making them prone to overheating, dehydration, and paw pad burns from hot surfaces.

Arab News spoke to a few pet care centers for their top summer care tips.

Keep pets out of dangerous heat

Albanderey Aloyeadi, CEO Saudi Animal Welfare Society (Refq), said they campaign against leaving pets outdoors or in cars.

Humane World for Animals also advises never to leave your pets in a parked car because temperatures inside a vehicle can rapidly rise to dangerous levels.

Temperatures inside a parked car can rise by almost 11 degrees Celcius within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“During the summer, we make a concerted effort to spread awareness in the community about the dangers of heat for animals,” Aloyeadi said.

This includes educational campaigns on proper hydration and sheltering.

Helping strays

Operationally, Refq increases monitoring of stray animals in urban areas in the summer to make sure they have access to clean water and shade.

They also partner with community members to designate safe feeding zones that help Refq track, feed, and protect stray animals more efficiently.

The Refq mobile app, a volunteer-driven platform, enables users to report animal abuse or neglect, locate animals in need, and facilitate adoptions, operating in collaboration with government agencies.

Adjust routines for cooler hours

“A good rule of thumb is if you can’t place your hand on the pavement outside, then neither can your pet,” said Pawsers Pet Care founder Ali Alriyahi.

Located in Alkhobar and Riyadh, they are a “one-stop shop” for all your pets’ needs.

When the weather starts to heat up, Pawsers employees are careful not to allow their pets outside if the temperature reaches above 32 C, especially if the humidity is high. They limit playtime to indoor activities where a controlled air conditioning unit and circulation system maintains optimal temperature and air quality conditions for the pets.

Outdoor time at Pawsers is during the very early mornings and late evenings and will last only about five minutes, depending on the heat index.

Through their outreach programs, Pawsers has found homes for thousands of abandoned and/or injured cats and dogs, also offering subsidized and discounted prices in services for strays and rescue animals.

Hydration is key

Chez Ayah, a full-service pet center in Riyadh, is known for its individualized approach to dog services.

Founder and owner Ayah Al-Bokhari said: “We’ve added indoor enrichment, supervised pool sessions and — most importantly — a lot of melon. Seriously, a lot of melon. It’s hydrating, safe, and the dogs love it.”

In the summer, Chez Ayah adjusts the entire routine to prioritize cooler hours, starting as early as 5:30 a.m. before the sun rises.

Their in-house park is additionally equipped with more than 10 outdoor AC units and large shaded areas for comfort.

“Every dog’s routine is customized based on their temperament, energy level, and needs,” Al-Bokhari added.

In addition to daycare and pet center services, there are best practices for pet owners to adopt in their homes in the summer, as well as for pedestrians to practice when coming across a stray on the street.

Be mindful of humidity

It is important to watch out for high humidity levels, especially if you live on the coast, because it reduces the ability of an animal to cool itself.

Limit exercise on hot days and provide shade and water (preferably ice water) when taking your pets out for a walk.

Home cooling hacks

Make “pupsicles” by freezing pet-safe treats.
Use cooling wraps, vests, or mats soaked in cold water.
Don’t shave your pet’s fur — it insulates from heat and sun.
Provide shaded areas or ventilated rooms indoors.
Avoid leaving pets in enclosed spaces such as dog houses, which trap heat.

Know the signs of heat stroke

Be mindful for signs of heat stroke, which include heavy panting, glazed eyes, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, fever, excessive thirst, unresponsiveness and inactivity, dizziness, lack of coordination, excessive salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizures, and unconsciousness.

Very old, very young, overweight, inactive pets, and pets with heart or respiratory diseases are more prone to heat strokes.

Certain breeds of cats and dogs, such as pugs and shih tzus who have short muzzles, will find it harder to breathe in the heat.

With temperatures regularly soaring above 40 C in Saudi summers, pet owners have to take extra measures to keep animals safe.

A national network of cooling and hydration stations for animals could be a valuable initiative, giving pets and strays a place to drink and cool off with minimal disruption.

ZAKOPANE: Saudi photographer Fahad Alayyash gazed over the Alpine-like panorama of the Tatras, Poland’s highest mountain range — and a surprising new hotspot for Arab tourists.
The 38-year-old is among thousands of Gulf residents spending their summer vacation in Zakopane, a resort known for its ski lifts and hiking trails, where historic wooden houses mix with modern hotels.
“We’ve completely taken over the place,” Alayyash said while standing on Gubalowka, a peak overlooking Zakopane, where dozens of visitors drink coffee, shop for souvenirs and enjoy the view.
Zakopane, located in southern Poland, has become a major summer draw for holidaymakers from the United Arab Emirates, ������Ƶ and Kuwait, with up to seven daily flights from the region at nearby Krakow Airport.
The boom started with a Saudi travel agency representative, said Agata Wojtowicz, head of the Tatra chamber of commerce.
She said the official came to Zakopane to scout for a new destination with a direct connection to the Gulf and “was astonished” by the town.
Flydubai launched the first Dubai-Krakow connection in 2018 and Emiratis are now coming in droves — helped by their visa-free access to the European Union.
Last year they were Poland’s fastest-growing tourist group, according to the tourism ministry, with numbers 66 percent higher than in 2023.
Manal Alanazy, a 45-year-old educational technology professor at King Saud University, said Zakopane is well-known among Saudis.
“When I told my dad and my brother that I’m going to Poland, my brother didn’t like it. He said: ‘It’s all Gulf people there,’” she told AFP.
Zakopane uses social media to attract Gulf tourists who have created “a snowball effect” of growing interest, said Wojtowicz.
Over the past three years, Arab influencers have been invited on promotional visits, according to Grzegorz Biedron, chairman of its tourism organization.
Both Alanazy and Abdullah Alotaibi, a 30-year-old Kuwaiti ship captain, learnt about Zakopane from X.
“I saw on Twitter (X) a thread about Zakopane, and how it treats all people the same, and there is no racism about religions, so I liked it and I came,” said Alotaibi.
Arab tourists cite the feeling of safety as one of Zakopane’s key assets.
“It was dark and I was walking... I’m like, ‘You’re not in Poland, you’re in one of the Gulf countries. Just look. Nothing will happen,’” said Alanazy.
For Zakopane’s business owners, the Gulf clientele has been a blessing.
“This year, around two-thirds are Arabs,” Anna Stoch-El Einen, who owns a kebab restaurant and souvenir shop, said of her customers.
“We have very few Polish tourists in the region, perhaps because of the weather,” she added.
The hospitality industry has adapted fast to the preferences of Middle East visitors.
Stoch-El Einen offers menus in Polish and Arabic, and has a “halal” certificate displayed over the counter.
“We also make sure that we have a halal menu,” said Wiktor Wrobel, CEO of the region’s Nosalowy hotel group.
Arab customers constitute up to 30 percent of all summer guests at his five-star hotel in Zakopane.
City mayor Lukasz Filipowicz told AFP “local entrepreneurs are very happy about the presence of tourists from the Middle East.”
He said the biggest challenge was the difference in driving cultures, with visitors often breaking parking and entry laws.
“Every municipal police patrol is equipped with a handbook in Arabic... so that tourists from the Middle East can understand and comply with the applicable regulations,” Filipowicz said.
The day is rainy, but the drizzle did not deter Gulf visitors escaping the infernal summer heat in their home region. Temperatures sometimes top 50C in the Gulf, whereas Polish summers are generally mild.
Alanazy initially wanted to vacation in Paris.
“I canceled because the heatwave hit the European countries,” she told AFP, adding that “the weather is perfect” in Zakopane.
Wrobel said climate change is a reason behind the surge in Zakopane’s popularity.
“The respite that visitors from Arab countries are looking for cannot be found in Italy or Spain, where temperatures have also risen significantly,” he told AFP.
Hanka Krzeptowska-Marusarz, whose family runs a guesthouse in Zakopane, recalled seeing a Kuwaiti in full Islamic attire as she stood in a meadow, arms spread out, soaked in torrential rain.
“I thought it was beautiful,” she said.