Checking the weather before taking a dog for a walk is something many owners do without a second thought. But ordinary forecasts don’t tell the whole story. While the air may feel comfortable to a person, the pavement beneath a dog’s paws could be dangerously hot.
That difference inspired entrepreneur and dog lover Clay Bartlett to create Pawcast, a weather service designed specifically for dogs.
Developed by the team behind Weather.pet, the service goes beyond conventional temperature forecasts. It considers conditions at a dog’s height, measures the temperatures of different ground surfaces, and adjusts its predictions according to individual characteristics such as breed, body size, and coat length.
The goal is simple: help owners make better decisions about when and where to take their dogs outdoors.
When the pavement is hotter than the air
Bartlett experienced just how misleading an ordinary weather forecast could be while attending a pet conference in Fort Worth.
Standing outside, he used an infrared thermometer to measure the asphalt. Although the air temperature was 98°F, the pavement registered a scorching 131°F.
That 33-degree difference could put a dog’s paws at risk of burns, even during a relatively short walk.
The experience highlighted a problem many pet owners may overlook: dogs experience their surroundings differently from humans, particularly when walking close to hot pavement.
Bartlett and his team of veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and dog trainers decided to address that gap by developing Pawcast.
Instead of relying solely on standard weather information, the service provides a specialized measurement called Dog Feel°, designed to estimate how temperatures affect dogs.
Forecasts designed around dogs
Pawcast takes several factors into account when generating its reports.
It provides temperature information at the level of a dog’s head and paws, while also estimating conditions on asphalt, concrete, and grass.
The system considers differences between breeds, body sizes, coat lengths, ages, and weights, recognizing that not every dog responds to heat and cold in the same way.
Owners can also receive route-specific estimates, giving them a better idea of what their pets might encounter during a particular walk.
The service has already attracted considerable interest. From late September through October 2026, Pawcast delivered approximately 28,000 alerts to more than 2,000 pet owners across all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
Each report includes a conventional temperature reading alongside the dog-focused Dog Feel° estimate.
Built on thousands of real-world measurements
The idea emerged after Dr. Hilary Jones, co-founder and Chief Veterinary Officer, noticed a growing number of questions from pet owners about weather-related safety.
The team realized that accessible veterinary guidance on the subject was limited, with much of the available information relying on outdated recommendations.
Rather than simply adapting an ordinary weather forecast, the team decided to collect its own measurements.
Over the course of a year, veterinary professionals gathered thousands of ground-temperature readings in cities, suburbs, and rural communities throughout the United States.
They measured asphalt, concrete, and grass to understand how different surfaces heat up and cool down under changing weather conditions.
Those measurements became the foundation of a model designed to estimate the temperatures dogs actually encounter at ground level.
By combining environmental information with individual dog characteristics, Pawcast aims to give owners a more meaningful picture of outdoor conditions.
Another project from an experienced pet-care team
Pawcast is not Bartlett’s first venture into technology designed to help animals.
He previously worked with his veterinary team for eight years developing TeleTails, a veterinary telehealth platform that has provided services to approximately 1.5 million pet owners.
With Pawcast, the team is applying that experience to a different but equally important aspect of pet care: everyday safety outdoors.
The service is available through the Apple App Store and Google Play, while its website offers an accessible way to explore dog-focused weather information.
For owners, the idea could make a meaningful difference in everyday routines. A quick look at a regular forecast might suggest that conditions are perfectly comfortable, but a dog-specific report can reveal risks that would otherwise go unnoticed.
And sometimes, protecting a beloved companion starts with something as simple as checking the temperature beneath their paws before heading out the door.