At Rancho Burro donkey sanctuary in Arroyo Grande, it’s been a tough week for the animals.
"This might be the worst one we’ve had during the heat," said Carlen Eckford, founder of Rancho Burro. She says one of their donkeys, Henry, suffered from heat stroke on Thursday.
"His temperature was high that day, so I checked his temp. I checked his heart rate…” Eckford says.
Friday morning, Henry still wasn’t feeling well. A possible result of the heat stroke, she explains.
In these extreme temperatures, volunteers are on high alert, constantly checking vitals and trying to keep the animals cool by hosing them down with water and keeping them in stalls with fans.
At the Feline Network, the focus is on stray and vulnerable kittens.
"In this heat, they're not going to last even a half a day. And it's sad, you know?” said volunteer Pamela Werth.
She tells me their organization is at full capacity taking in strays, but encourages locals to help by providing food, water and shade for outdoor animals struggling in these conditions.
“Because it's really hot right now, I'll put this milk carton that was in the freezer last night full of water… Keeps it a little bit cool," Werth explains. “It's really important for the public to step in.”
She says the community can make a big difference by spaying and neutering, to reduce the number of strays.
“It's so easy to do and if you go through the Feline Network or Woods Humane Society, you can do it with low cost," Werth says.
