The Jacksonville Humane Society has tips for protecting companion animals from the weather in summer (commentary added for this article):

1. Limit exercise.  Take animals out for exercise only in the early morning hours.  Give plenty of water during and after exercise.  The dog park at Tillie Fowler near the church has lots of trees, so it offers exercise space cooler than the surrounding areas.  John Wrightington and I can attest to this fact.  But take along your mosquito repellant!

2. Keep in mind that some animals, especially white-coated ones, can easily become sunburned, which increases the risk of cancer. Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab, Utah (the largest no-kill shelter in the country) has an entire building dedicated to the care of cats who have lost ears, or even part of the nose, to surgery to treat skin cancer.  Keep in mind that white-coated animals have even less tolerance for the sun than others.

3. Watch for signs of heatstroke, including heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive panting/thirst/drooling, lethargy, vomiting, and a deep red or purple tongue. Heatstroke is an immediate medical emergency; if you suspect heatstroke, get your dog to a veterinarian right away.  To cool down your dog:  immediately move your dog to an air-conditioned area.  If no air-conditioning is available, move your dog to a cool, shaded area.  Begin cooling them down with cool, not cold, water. Don’t use ice or very cold water, as this can shock the dog. Gently pour or spray the water over the dog, focusing on the belly and armpits. Use a fan to help with evaporative cooling.  (Fans ordinarily don’t cool dogs off, because dogs don’t perspire.  But once cool water has been poured on the belly and armpits, evaporation by a fan can help.)  Offer the dog small amounts of cool water to drink. Continue cooling the dog until their breathing returns to normal and they stop shivering. Seek immediate veterinary attention, as heatstroke is a medical emergency.

4. Never leave any animal in a parked car during summer.

5. If you need to take your dog outside, check the pavement with your hand to determine whether it’s too hot for your dog to walk on.

6. Consider a kiddy pool for the back yard.

The National Wildlife Federation and similar groups offer tips for helping wildlife stay cool in the summer.

1. The three most important tips are water, water, water!  A birdbath, especially one with moving water, can help birds and other animals stay cool.  A moving water feature, along with changing the water every few days, will help prevent your birdbath from becoming a site for mosquito breeding.  If a moving-water feature isn’t workable, you can hang a milk jug filled with water over your birdbath.  Make a small hole in the bottom of the bottle; the sound of the water dripping will attract birds.  Keep the water in your birdbath shallow, about two inches.  Include rocks or sticks to give birds a place to perch.  An accessible non-metal pan of water on the ground, in the shade, will give ground animals an opportunity to drink.  A second such pan, containing dirt and rocks as well as water, can provide butterflies not only with hydration, but also with some of the minerals they need.
2. If you hold off on tree pruning until the cooler months, more shade will be available for wildlife in the summer.
3. If you leave tunnels and burrows in place through the summer, they will provide cool spaces for animals.

May you and all the animals in your life stay cool this summer.