A dog enthusiast and entrepreneur has developed a weather service designed especially for dogs. This service provides tens of thousands of weather reports monthly, focusing on temperatures relevant to a dog’s head and paws. It offers readings for various surfaces like asphalt, grass, and concrete, and adjusts for factors like breed, body size, and coat length, helping dog owners plan their outings more effectively.
Clay Bartlett shared with GNN that during a recent pet conference in Fort Worth, he measured the asphalt temperature at 131°F while the air temperature was only 98°F. Bartlett noted that this significant difference could lead to burned paws over even a short distance. He explained that this is why his team, which includes veterinarians, nurses, and dog trainers, created Pawcast by Weather.pet. They wanted to highlight that dogs perceive temperature differently than humans do.
Between late September and October, Pawcast issued 28,000 alerts to over 2,000 pet owners across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Each alert provided a temperature reading along with a special metric called “Dog Feel°.” This is not Bartlett’s first venture into pet services; he previously helped develop TeleTails, a major veterinary telehealth platform that serves 1.5 million pet owners.
Bartlett mentioned that Dr. Hilary Jones, the co-founder and Chief Veterinary Officer, observed an increase in pet safety inquiries related to weather. They recognized a significant gap in available information, noting that much of the veterinary literature dates back to 1998.
To address this, their veterinary team conducted extensive research on ground surface temperatures that dogs encounter daily. They took thousands of readings across the nation from different locations, including cities, suburbs, and rural areas. These findings laid the groundwork for a model that reflects how temperature affects dogs at ground level. The result is a tailored temperature reading that considers each dog’s breed, coat, age, and weight, alongside specific estimates for walking routes.
This comprehensive effort resulted in an easily navigable website, and the app is accessible on both the App Store and Google Play Store. What do you think about the importance of weather considerations for pet safety?
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Source: Good News Network, by Andy Corbley