CANADIAN wildfires have caused unhealthy air quality across the east coast putting animals with pre-existing conditions at risk.
New York City ranked #1 for the worst air quality in the country this week as smoke from weeks of wildfires in Canada passed through.
While residents have been asked to take precautions by limiting time spent outdoors and wearing an N95 mask, doctors are also warning of the harmful impact on animals.
Dr. Justine Murray told CBS that pets can have similar pre-existing conditions to humans which include respiratory and heart issues.
Murray recommends only taking pets outside for necessary bathroom breaks and avoiding long runs and walks.
Man fined £165 after outraging the internet by dying puppy to look like Pikachu
She suggested keeping the walks no longer than 10 minutes.
"Anybody with cardiovascular or respiratory disease, they can have effects from the particles that are floating around, so it's just better to keep them inside to prevent them from having any issues," she said, adding that the air quality is especially not good for older dogs.
She also suggests taking your pet to the vet if you notice they are having trouble breathing, wheezing, or gagging.
RED ALERT
Pictures flooded social media of the thick, red haze that covered the city earlier this week.
The smoke thickened late Tuesday afternoon, making it difficult to see New Jersey across the Hudson River and even making the sun look like a ghoulish, red orb.
Residents were asked to wear N95 or KN95 masks as surgical or cloth masks that were the standard during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic weren't strong enough to filter out the air pollution.
Several sporting events in New York City had to be canceled or rescheduled to a later date.
"I have literally been coughing all day long," wrote one person on Twitter. "The air in NYC is no joke right now."
"Solidarity with all the nyc dog owners trying to explain to a dog that we can’t go to the park tonight because the air is filled with smoke from Canada," wrote another person.
