So I got a press release in my inbox announcing a new product that will send me a text if my dog is overheating. Not a bad idea. This summer, I either left the pooch as home or waited until it cooled off in the day before we went somewhere by car. What if you could take your dog, crack the windows and get alerted if he was too hot so you wouldn’t have to guess?

Would I actually use this thing? I wish I had heard about it at the beginning of the summer. As we go into winter and Takoda rides along with me more often, I’m not sure I’d need it. What do you think? Here’s the gist of the device…

The AnimAlarm looks like a small iPod. You set a threshold temp and then place it in the shade next to your dog. When (and if) the temp reaches that threshold, you’ll get a text alert. You can also set it to text you if it gets too
cold. Then you can run over and cool down your pet or put a sweater on him. If you’re a hoverer you can reach out to the device to find out what the current temp near your dog is.

A gadget like this makes perfect sense for travellers who keep their dogs in the car, or boat, motorhome, etc., I just wish you could somehow attach it to your dog because as I see it, this is yet another thing I will be forced to hunt for whenever I thought of using it. Maybe it should include a locator app where you could send a signal to it to scream out like Lookout Mobile!

AnimAlarm is compatible with all cellphones and no contract is necessary. It features solar powered charging, up to 30 days battery life (on eco mode), car and USB charging options, low battery warning text alerts and both Celsius or Fahrenheit options. $175.