Heatwave Plan for Dog Boarding Kennels: An Australian Guide

It is 7.30am, and the boarding dogs are already awake.

Normally, the morning begins with outdoor exercise while staff clean rooms and prepare breakfast. Today, however, the forecast is severe, the overnight temperature barely dropped and the concrete exercise yard already feels warm.

One dog is an elderly Labrador. Another is a Pug that pants during mild activity. Three new arrivals are expected after lunch, including one travelling nearly an hour by car.

The booking calendar says it is an ordinary day. The weather says it is not.

For a boarding kennel or dog daycare centre, a heatwave is more than an animal-care concern. It affects exercise, transport, room allocation, cleaning, staffing, customer communication and emergency planning—all while the business remains responsible for animals with very different levels of heat tolerance.

A practical heatwave plan helps the team make those decisions before the hottest part of the day arrives.

Start with a trigger, not a feeling

“Take extra care when it is hot” is too vague for a working procedure.

One employee may consider 30°C dangerous, while another waits for 38°C before changing the routine. Humidity, overnight temperatures, shade, ventilation and the design of the facility also affect conditions.

Build your plan around several triggers:

Bureau of Meteorology heatwave forecasts or warnings
Forecast maximum and overnight minimum temperatures
Local humidity and wind conditions
Temperature in animal accommodation
Temperature in exercise areas
Cooling-system performance
Number and needs of high-risk animals
Advice from your facility’s veterinarian

The Bureau of Meteorology defines a heatwave as three or more days when both daytime and night-time temperatures are unusually high for a location. Its service assesses heat relative to local conditions, which is more useful than applying one temperature limit to every Australian region. Check the Bureau’s heatwave forecasts and warnings alongside your local forecast.

Create operating levels that suit your facility. For example:

Level 1: Hot-day precautions

Increase temperature checks, move energetic exercise to cooler periods and review water more frequently.

Level 2: Heatwave operations

Reduce outdoor activity, activate high-risk pet plans, adjust staffing and restrict non-essential transport.

Level 3: Critical conditions or cooling failure

Move animals to the safest available area, pause arrivals where necessary and activate veterinary, relocation or emergency procedures.

These are operational categories, not universal veterinary temperature thresholds. Agree on the details with your veterinarian and adapt them to your buildings, climate and licence conditions.

Identify the dogs that may struggle first

A single summer policy does not fit every dog.

The Inner West Council’s current hot-weather guidance identifies short-nosed dogs, older and overweight animals, and dogs with heart or breathing problems as being at greater risk of heatstroke. It also notes that humidity can make cooling through panting less effective. Read the council’s hot-weather pet guidance.

Your booking or intake form should ask:

Is the dog a brachycephalic or short-nosed breed?
Has the dog previously experienced heat stress?
Does it have a heart, breathing or mobility condition?
Is it overweight, elderly or very young?
Does excitement cause prolonged panting?
Is exercise restricted by a veterinarian?
Does the dog require medication affected by heat or dehydration?
How does the dog normally cope on hot days?
May the business contact the dog’s usual veterinary clinic?
Who is the emergency contact if the owner cannot be reached?

Do not use these answers to make a diagnosis. Use them to determine whether the booking needs individual review and a documented care plan.

A high-risk dog may need a cooler room, shorter toilet breaks, individual rather than group activity, closer monitoring or a different arrival time. In some circumstances, the safest decision may be not to accept the booking unless suitable conditions can be provided.

Measure conditions where the dogs actually are

The temperature at a nearby weather station does not tell you exactly what is happening in a kennel room, grooming area or enclosed exercise yard.

Place suitable thermometers or environmental monitors in representative locations:

Sleeping accommodation
Indoor playrooms
Outdoor shaded areas
Reception and arrival areas
Laundry or drying spaces
Transport vehicles
Rooms with weaker airflow
Temporary holding areas

Avoid placing every sensor directly beside an air-conditioning outlet, open doorway or other location that produces an unrealistically cool reading.

Record conditions at planned intervals during hot weather. Increase the frequency when temperatures rise, ventilation changes or the cooling system appears less effective.

The record should show:

Time
Location
Temperature and, where available, humidity
Cooling equipment in operation
Employee initials
Observed animal concerns
Corrective action taken

The goal is not to produce paperwork for its own sake. A simple log lets the next shift see whether a room is steadily warming instead of judging it from one reading.

Test cooling before it becomes essential

An air conditioner that worked last February may not be ready for a full facility in December.

Before summer:

Service air-conditioning and ventilation equipment
Clean filters and accessible vents
Test every fan
Check shade throughout the day
Inspect water taps, hoses and bowls
Identify rooms that heat faster than others
Test backup power arrangements
Confirm access to portable cooling equipment
Review generator fuel and safe operating instructions
Check alarms and remote monitoring, if used

Fans move air but do not automatically make every environment safe, especially when the surrounding air is very hot. Likewise, a shaded outdoor kennel can retain heat if airflow is poor.

Plan for equipment failure. Ask:

Where will the animals move if one cooling zone fails?
Can electrical circuits support portable equipment safely?
Who can authorise an emergency repair?
Which local facility could receive animals temporarily?
How will owners be contacted?
Who controls transport?
At what point will new arrivals be postponed?

Australia’s official business guidance recommends that an emergency plan cover continuity, immediate action and recovery. It should include emergency contacts, staff responsibilities, evacuation procedures, information backups and regular drills. Business.gov.au provides an emergency-management planning template.

For a kennel, that general plan must also account for leads, crates, medication, feeding information, pet identification and safe transport capacity.

Redesign the day around the heat

On an ordinary day, the timetable may be built around cleaning efficiency and customer convenience. During a heatwave, animal exposure becomes the organising principle.

Possible adjustments include:

Complete suitable outdoor exercise early
Replace vigorous play with calmer indoor enrichment
Shorten outdoor toilet visits
Use shaded or grassed areas where available
Avoid hot concrete and artificial surfaces
Stagger dogs to prevent excited crowding
Refill and clean water bowls more frequently
Move arrivals and collections away from peak heat
Pause non-essential walks or transport
Allow longer recovery after activity
Schedule cleaning tasks without compromising cooling or ventilation

Check surfaces rather than assuming they are safe. The Inner West Council advises that if pavement is too hot for a person’s hand, it is too hot for a dog’s paws.

Do not compensate for reduced outdoor exercise by creating uncontrolled excitement indoors. Food enrichment, sniffing activities, quiet training and individual attention may provide stimulation with less physical exertion, where appropriate for the dog.

Record substantial changes to the care routine and tell owners what was adjusted.

Make water a monitored task

“Water available at all times” can become unreliable when bowls are tipped, contaminated or emptied more quickly than expected.

Assign water checks to named employees and record exceptions. Look for:

Empty or overturned bowls
Water warmed by direct sunlight
Contamination from food or bedding
Dogs guarding shared water
Animals reluctant to drink
Increased consumption
Access problems for dogs with limited mobility

Provide more than one suitable water point where group-care arrangements make that appropriate. Position outdoor bowls in shade and prevent them from being easily knocked over.

Avoid adding products, supplements or flavourings without owner and veterinary approval. Staff should not improvise medical interventions because a dog seems reluctant to drink.

Treat the car park as part of the facility

A dog can be exposed to dangerous heat before it enters the building.

The Australian Veterinary Association warns that temperatures inside stationary vehicles can rise quickly to dangerous levels, even in moderate weather and when windows are partly open. Its policy states that companion animals should not be confined in parked or stationary vehicles where they risk developing hyperthermia. Read the AVA policy on animals in vehicles.

Send hot-weather arrival instructions before the appointment:

Arrive within the agreed window
Call reception if assistance is needed
Do not wait with the pet in a parked vehicle
Bring the dog directly inside when invited
Carry water for longer journeys
Tell staff if the dog has been panting heavily or appears unwell
Contact the business before travelling if conditions or transport plans change

Reduce queues at reception. If several dogs arrive together, excitement, pulling and prolonged waiting can add physical stress.

If your business provides transport, document pre-departure vehicle checks. Air conditioning should be operating before animals are loaded, and the driver needs an emergency contact and a plan for breakdowns.

Know what requires immediate escalation

Employees need to recognise concerning changes without being expected to diagnose them.

Hot-weather warning signs described by Australian council guidance include heavy panting, heavy drooling, trouble breathing, weakness, agitation, dizziness, rapid heartbeat and dark or red gums and tongue. More advanced signs can include vomiting, diarrhoea, staggering or seizures. Heatstroke is a veterinary emergency.

Your written procedure should tell staff:

Who takes control
Where the animal is moved
How the veterinarian is contacted
Which first-aid steps have been approved
Who calls the owner
What information travels with the dog
Where the incident is recorded

Do not rely on staff searching the internet during an emergency. Ask your veterinarian to provide or approve a facility-specific first-aid and transport procedure.

Keep veterinary contacts, owner details, medical information and transport equipment accessible to every responsible shift—not inside a locked office available only to the manager.

Protect employees from the same conditions

Kennel staff may be moving dogs, washing bedding, cleaning outdoor areas and carrying supplies while the temperature rises.

Heat planning should cover workers as well as animals. Review:

Access to drinking water
Rest breaks
Shade
Ventilation
Heavy or waterproof clothing
Outdoor-task timing
Physical workload
New employees who are not acclimatised
Staff with individual risk factors
Lone work
Travel after a demanding shift

Where possible, move strenuous outdoor tasks to cooler periods and rotate duties. Ensure someone can cover animal supervision when another employee takes a break.

Australian work health and safety requirements are regulated by the Commonwealth, states and territories, so confirm the obligations applying in your jurisdiction. Safe Work Australia provides national information and links to the relevant state or territory WHS regulator.

A tired or heat-affected employee may miss a change in a dog’s behaviour, leave a gate unsecured or record medication incorrectly. Staff wellbeing is therefore part of animal-care reliability.

Explain the policy before customers are affected

A customer may be disappointed if outdoor play is reduced or a midday collection is moved. The conversation is easier when the hot-weather policy was visible at booking.

Explain that the business may:

Change exercise duration or location
Replace vigorous activity with indoor enrichment
Adjust arrival and collection windows
Review high-risk dogs individually
Contact the owner or veterinarian if concerns arise
Postpone transport or non-essential services
Move animals between suitable accommodation
Close to new arrivals if safe conditions cannot be maintained

Avoid promising that every advertised activity will happen regardless of weather. Describe what the dog will receive instead.

A useful update might say:

Because of today’s heatwave conditions, outdoor play will finish earlier and dogs will receive shorter toilet breaks plus indoor enrichment. High-risk dogs are being monitored more frequently. Please contact us before travelling if your collection plans change.

The message is calm, specific and centred on welfare.

Australian boarding-kennel staff monitoring indoor conditions while dogs rest safely during hot weather.

Heatwave action plan for boarding and daycare

Before summer

Ask your veterinarian to review the heat-response procedure
Add heat-risk questions to intake forms
Service cooling and ventilation equipment
Map hot areas within the facility
Install and test environmental monitors
Create high-risk pet care notes
Identify backup accommodation
Review emergency transport capacity
Train staff and run a cooling-failure drill
Publish the customer hot-weather policy

When a heatwave is forecast

Confirm the operating level
Review every booked dog’s risk factors
Contact owners where additional information is needed
Adjust exercise and arrival times
Check cooling equipment and backup supplies
Confirm staff and emergency coverage
Brief each shift
Begin the temperature log
Prepare indoor enrichment
Check veterinary and owner contacts

During the hottest period

Monitor animals and rooms at planned intervals
Keep water clean, cool and accessible
Minimise outdoor exertion
Avoid waiting in vehicles
Record routine changes
Escalate concerning signs immediately
Monitor employees for heat-related illness
Pause admissions if safe capacity is threatened

After the event

Review environmental records
Document incidents and near misses
Inform owners of significant care changes
Inspect cooling equipment
Replenish emergency supplies
Ask staff where the plan failed or slowed down
Update individual pet notes
Revise the procedure before the next hot period

The safest booking is the one you can support

A busy summer calendar can tempt a small facility to accept every available booking.

But room capacity is not always safe operating capacity. A kennel may have twenty vacant spaces and enough cooling for only fifteen high-needs dogs during extreme conditions. A daycare may be able to supervise its usual group but not safely provide the usual exercise schedule.

A good heatwave plan makes those limits visible before the hottest day.

It identifies vulnerable dogs, measures real conditions, gives employees authority to adjust routines and defines what happens when cooling or staffing cannot support the bookings.

The weather cannot be controlled. The decisions around it can be.

Keep hot-weather care information easy to find

GoPet AI’s custom intake forms can help boarding businesses collect health, behaviour, emergency-contact and care information before arrival. Its pet CRM keeps feeding notes, medical details, tags and alerts with each pet’s profile.

GoPet AI does not replace environmental monitoring, veterinary advice or an emergency plan. It can help give staff one organised place to find the individual information needed when hot-weather routines change.

Heatwave Plan for Dog Boarding Kennels: An Australian Guide

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