Spring is finally here and Summer is just around the corner, and with the onset of warm weather across the region Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service reminds us to keep our pets safe in the heat.

"Every summer, we respond to calls of animals being left in cars," says Nancy Hill, Director of SCRAPS. "Inside a car, the temperature will rapidly increase and can overwhelm a pet in a very short time period - sometimes with fatal consequences."

If you typically bring your dog or other pets along for the car ride consider leaving them home when temperatures rise. Dogs aren't able to sweat to cool themselves down so it doesn't take much for them to overheat. Cracking a window while you run into the store isn't enough to keep them healthy.

"The temperature outside doesn't have to be in the 90's or more for a problem to exist," says Hill, "On a 78 degree day, temperatures in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees, and hit a scorching 160 degree if parked in the sun."

Three days ago, Addison Cheney had no idea what snow was actually like.

Growing up in Pensacola, Fla., little Addison, 4, had never experienced winter weather, and her mom said that it was one of the main reasons she was excited to move to the Inland Northwest. The Cheney family moved in to Addison's grandparents' house in Cheney, Wash., on Sunday, Jan. 6.

Then Jan. 7 and the 8+ inches of snow came and Addison couldn't have been more “ecstatic,” according to her mother Elizabeth.

“She was running around, saying 'It's snowing, grandpa! It's snowing!' ” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth said that Addison and her 1-year-old sister must have made more than 30 snow angels in the yard to go with their first-ever snowman.

“She played outside for hours,” Elizabeth said. “She was absolutely exhausted when she came inside.”

Elizabeth said that Addison wants to go sledding at some point but right now she is “pretty content making snow angels and snowmen.”

There are several things to consider when Mother Nature dumps a half-foot of snow on the area.

PETA sent out several tips Monday for pet owners and animal-conscious citizens, because “dogs and other animals can suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze.”

Here are some of PETA's tips:

• Keep animals indoors. This is absolutely critical when it comes to puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, pit bulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman pinschers. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a warm sweater or a coat on walks.