1. Plan to arrive at your motel after dusk. If your rabbits will be staying in the car overnight, you want them to be cool from the time you park your vehicle and turn off the AC. Likewise, make sure you are back on the road a little after dawn.
   
2. Take two sets of keys. If you need to stop in the heat of the day - or even on a mild day when the sun is shining - you can leave your car running with the air on and your doors locked.
   
3. Pay attention to where you park your vehicle - and think ahead to how the sun is moving. Shadows can change a lot during an hour-long meal break.
   
4. Make sure that your rear air is working and/or that rear heat has been turned off. Passengers may be very comfortable in the front of the vehicle while rabbits are dying in the rear.
   
5. If your windows are not tinted, consider purchasing car window shades intended for use with babies. Again, one or two rabbits may be traveling in direct sunlight and die while other occupants are very comfortable.
   
6. If you normally transport your rabbits in the back of a truck, you may want to skip summer shows that require you to travel during the day. Last year, rabbits transported that way died on the show table.
   
7. Make sure you travel with supplies to treat your rabbits for heat distress during the summer.
   
8. Check out your fans, extension cords, and adapters now to make sure you have enough for your show string.
   
9. If you haven't attended a particular show before, make sure that electricity for fans will be available.
   
10. Frozen bottles, misters, and spray bottles can help keep your rabbits cool.
    
11. Minimize the time that your rabbits spend inside your vehicle while loading and unloading. The first rabbits loaded could die before you get all of them loaded if you spread out the task over a long period of time.
    
12. Consider leaving your oldest, best, and youngest rabbits at home during the summer.

I hope you and your rabbits have a fun, cool, and safe summer.

Laurie

¶ 12:42 PM