Heat, Housing, and Pets
Every week, I run shelter dogs from the Oregon Humane Society. Like many animal shelters, OHS is in an industrial neighborhood with few neighbors to complain about barking. Many people are aware of Portland’s housing crisis. Contrary to what some presidential candidates like to say about us being destroyed, Portland is very much here and its popularity has created a cost of living problem. The region’s inability to build low-income and affordable housing has pushed many people to live on the streets in tents, RVs, cars, and other shelters. The neighborhood where I run is no exception, and we often need to scout ahead to make sure that the RVs and campers do not have loose dogs that may encounter our shelter dogs, many of whom are reactive. It is not unusual for us to discover that many of the people living there do have dogs and cats with them.
The NY Times ran an article recently about pet friendliness as the latest barrier to equitable housing. The article correctly states that pet amenities are a critical piece of advertising luxury housing, while lower income renters often have a very hard time finding housing that welcomes their pets. Breed and weight restrictions along with insane pet deposits and pet rent can make it very hard for renters to find a home for them and their pet. I have experienced this myself, and fought hard with property management companies to get back deposits or convince them that my 80 lb Lab/German Shepherd mix was actually a 60 lb (weight) Labrador (accepted breed). As a shelter volunteer, I see first hand the impacts of these restrictions on shelters. When people need housing and can’t find it, they are often forced to make the heart wrenching choice to give up their pet.
Adding to this already complicated scenario is climate change. Until recently, Portland could get skate through its summers without needing air conditioning. Summer never started until after the 4th of July, temperatures stayed reasonable with maybe one short heat wave, and I have many memories of going to events on Labor Day weekend and asking for hot chocolate. The large majority of homes do not have A/C, and even newer apartment buildings built within the last 10 years fail to offer it. But those days are long gone, and our summers are long, hot, dry, and smoky. At the bottom of a valley, Portland can have some poor air quality days from smog and smoke and we do not get the marine layer air and cool breezes that visit Seattle up north. My background in urban planning cannot ignore that Portland’s layout and infrastructure add to the problem of heat islands for lower income and minority Portlanders who live in older housing. The western parts of the city and wealthier neighborhoods often have old and expansive tree cover, access to parks, public transportation and new construction building. Further east from downtown, the tree cover disappears, the roads become wider, access to public transportation sparser, the building stock older, and accessibility to services like grocery stores, libraries, and community centers declines. Many of the encampments are located in east Portland as well.
When a heat wave hits Portland, the population further east is disproportionally impacted. When the 2021 heat dome brought temperatures around 116 degrees to the city, 72 people died in the city. Many of them were found in their homes. While this so far sounds like a distinctly human disaster, heat waves and where we live actually have an enormous impact on our animals. A Google search for “veterinarians” yields only 2 hits east of the I-205 corridor, compared to 15 between 1-205 and the Willamette River. Access to veterinary urgent care requires a trip on public transportation or a car, and yet the threats to animals in these neighborhoods during a heat wave are much higher than they are in my own leafy, tree covered neighborhood where our sidewalks are scorching versus blistering. So what do these threats look like:
For apartment dwelling dog owners, taking your dog out for a potty break is necessary. In a neighborhood that lacks tress and parks, this can mean walking your dog on hot concrete that is radiating temperatures far above the ambient air temperature. Risks for burned paws, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke all increase.
Living without A/C in a poorly insulated home, or any home on a hot day, can make our animals as sick as it makes us. Without an ability to sweat, most animals rely on panting to cool off. Just like humans, they suffer stress, higher heart rates, dehydration, and fatigue when they cannot cool off.
The situation is much worse for houseless pet owners. Living on hot concrete is deadly for humans and pets. The RVs and cars that many people live in can become dangerously sweltering (as we all are aware). With no access to veterinary care or the ability to afford it, there is little these pet owners can do.
Access to not only water, but electrolytes, is critical during heat waves and that can be hard to come by if you live in a neighborhood considered a “food desert” as a houseless person. Water at convenience stores can be prohibitively expensive as well.
For all pet owners looking to cool their pet down with a trip to a lake or a river, not so fast. Long heat waves that raise the water temperature can lead to deadly algal blooms that are quick killers for dogs. In Portland, the Willamette River spends large chunks of the summer off limits to dogs due to dangerous toxins. Overheated water can also spell death for salmon, leaving their carcasses to wash up on riverbanks. Salmon blood is highly poisonous for dogs and exposure requires immediate veterinary treatment.
When we talk about adapting to climate change, we need to include how we protect our pets in that conversation. We all know that climate change has a disproportionate impact on lower income and minority populations, and that includes their pets. It is incorrect to assume that houseless people who own pets do not care for them or that they are ill treated- the bond between people and their animals transcends all economic levels. Street Roots recently ran an excellent article on the bond between houseless people and their pets, and one quote really stuck out to me:
“The bond between owner and pet is so intertwined that houseless individuals would rather risk frostbite and potential death than abandon their animal if a shelter will not accept their pet.”- Shannon Troy, Do Good Multnomah
What can you do to support pets not only in long term climate planning but during short term heatwaves?
Donate water, electrolytes, booties, cooling blankets, ice, water bowls, and food to organizations that care for lower income and houseless pet owners. In Portland, that is Portland Animal Welfare Team and many cities have pet food banks that take on the bulk of this labor.
Volunteer during hot weather to support these organizations
Support legislation in your city, county, or state that advocates for humans to take their pets into emergency, homeless, and domestic violence shelters
Be a voice against breed specific legislation and insurance policies that allow landlords to discriminate against breeds and animals above a certain size
While they are often looked down upon as a climate solution, tree planting programs and bonds to create new parks and greenspaces have an enormous impact on local health and climate in predominately concrete neighborhoods. Get involved with tree planting and maintenance and support park bonds, particularly if they include infrastructure for dog owners.
Be safe with your own pets! Put dog booties on their feet on hot days, provide cooling pads for dogs and cats in your home along with access to water. Never leave pets in your car on a warm day (and by warm, I mean I don’t leave them in the car when it’s above 60 or below 40).
Supportive housing needs to mean supportive for all, including pet owners. Potty areas for pets to keep them safe from harsh weather, providing air conditioners for tenants, and eliminating pet rent are three basic elements to include in low income and transitional housing.
Climate planners! Is this you? The housing criteria of any climate adaptation plan should consider pet owners. We saw during the heat wave, and we see during every cold snap, people making tough and deadly choices to keep their pets safe. With more of these on the horizon, we need to make sure that our climate plans ensure that housing is climate adaptive and keeps people and their pets safe. Emergency outreach to houseless communities should also include check-ins on pets along with resources for them.
My conclusion here is the same as it always is- by caring for pet owners as we adapt to climate change, we care for people and our social systems too.
Please reach out with thoughts.
