When temperatures rise, heat not only goes to people’s heads, but this can also happen to animals. While we always have the choice to seek shade or coolness, this is not always possible for animals. What should animal owners and farmers actually arrange for their animals, so that they are not just left in the scorching sun on a hot day?
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is the party that monitors and enforces this matter. Last year, the number of reports of heat in animals increased considerably, from 277 in 2024 to 700 in 2025. The majority of those reports concerned animals in a pasture without shade.
“We often receive most reports in the summer months,” says NVWA spokesperson Bjorn Elsebrock. The increase in the number of reports last year did not come completely out of nowhere for this organization: they themselves paid more attention to this issue on social media and various animal welfare organizations also called for reports to be passed on to the NVWA.
“The law says that animal keepers have a duty to protect their animals from extreme weather conditions,” Elsebrock explains. This applies not only to animals that are kept commercially, but also to hobby farmers and owners of other pets.
“But one animal is more sensitive to heat than another, which is why the guidelines differ per animal species.” Threshold values have been established for, for example, horses, cows and sheep that are kept in the meadow. If these are exceeded, measures must be taken.
In horses this is the case when the outside temperature is higher than 27 degrees and in cows and sheep the THI is examined, which can determine heat stress in animals. The THI is calculated based on temperature and humidity. If the minimum values are exceeded in warm weather, animal keepers must take extra measures.
To protect the animals from the heat, shade must be provided. “Under those circumstances, animals must have the choice to seek shade. Sometimes animals still choose to stand in the sun, but the option must at least be there,” Elsebrock explains.
Thijs Boelens, spokesperson for LTO Noord, agrees with the advice of the NVWA. “It is always important to take good care of your animals and the farmers do that too. Extra shade areas are created and the stress is removed as much as possible.”
The NVWA provides a number of tips for animal keepers to create shade, such as parasols, flat trailers or shade cloths in the pasture. But permanent shade can also be created on the grassland by planting trees or hedges.
How do you see that animals are having a hard time with high temperatures? According to the NVWA, there are a number of characteristics that you should pay close attention to. If animals breathe faster than normal, are restless, drool, sweat or tremble or if they do not or hardly respond to their environment, they may suffer from heat stress.
“It is not always possible to recognize this,” says Elsebrock. “But when you see it, it is important to report it on our website. It is essential for us to receive photos or videos so that we can actually deal with the report.”
What might be even more efficient, according to Elsebrock, is to approach the animal keeper yourself. “It is important that you have awareness. If you see a sheep panting, walk to the farmer and indicate that you see an animal in trouble. It can often be solved immediately.”
Boelens trusts the advice of the NVWA. “If the NVWA advises this, then that is the best option to do. I know that farmers take good care of their livestock and I expect that it will not happen often that farmers have to be warned.”
The LTO Noord website also contains tips for the welfare of the animals. Reference is also made to gddiergezondheid.nl, where you will find heat advice for each animal.
Yesterday it was announced that the NVWA will use drones to look for heat stress in animals. If it turns out that there is not enough shelter, a livestock farmer can be fined.
“Time does not stand still and if the NVWA thinks it is a good plan to use drones, then that seems fine to me. I think it is a means to combat suffering and that is always good,” Boelens responds.