Never leave your pet in a car alone

Hopefully this is common sense for most pet parents, but Bernal emphasizes that this is the most important thing to remember when traveling with an animal—especially during the summer months. “Don’t leave them in a locked car,” she says.

“It takes seven minutes for them to basically move into a situation where it becomes fatal.” It doesn’t matter if you crack a window or if you’re only stepping out of your car for a few minutes. If it’s a hot day, dogs should never be left alone in a vehicle. “We need to make sure that all pet parents are aware of that,” Bernal says.