Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that domestic pets are not put at risk during a period of extreme heat.

We are acutely aware of the potential risks that hot weather creates for pets. Defra has issued communications over the last week to give tips to pet owners on steps to take in hot weather to keep their pets safe. This includes social media posts on how to keep your dog or cat cool, encouraging pet owners to know the signs of heatstroke:https://twitter.com/DefraGovUK/status/1548215892692963329?s=20&t=eQ0yptnzMwlN0QlkDXa8sA and guidance on caring for horses in extreme weather: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/keeping-farm-animals-and-horses-in-extreme-weather.

A number of veterinary and animal welfare organisations have also published advice and guidance for pet owners on caring for their pets during periods of extreme heat. For example, The British Veterinary Association issued advice to pet owners on keeping pets safe during hot weather which you can find here: https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/sunscreen-shade-and-sunset-walkies-vets-issue-urgent-heatwave-advice-as-temperatures-set-to-rival-2018-record/. World Horse Welfare also provided advice on caring for horses: https://int.worldhorsewelfare.org/news/hot-weather-and-horses.