Downtown merchants in Central Point and Lions Club members have launched a campaign called “Hot Paws” in hopes of reminding dog owners to think twice before exposing their four-legged companions to summer temperatures and scorching pavement.

Longtime community volunteer Debbie Saxbury said she spearheaded the program to raise awareness about the importance of protecting dogs from heat-related injuries. Saxbury said she sees too many owners walking their dogs during the hottest days of summer.

“I know we’ve all seen pictures of burnt dog paws and it’s just really heartbreaking. I noticed, when we had the Made in Southern Oregon event in downtown Central Point, there were a lot of people bringing their dogs there and making them walk on the hot pavement. It’s just not OK,” Saxbury said this week.

“My challenge to people who walk their dogs when it’s really hot is, ‘OK, take your shoes off and walk on the hot pavement for 5 or 10 seconds — you’ll see how hot it is.’”

Saxbury and a group of Lions Club members have distributed posters showing asphalt temperatures as they relate to air temperatures. Saxbury said it’s important to remember that asphalt can be up to 60 degrees hotter than the air temperature.

“When the air temperature is 77 degrees, the pavement can get up to 125 degrees,” she said.

“When it’s 87 degrees out, and it’s going to be even hotter than that this week, the pavement will get up to 143 degrees.”

In addition to the signage — which includes 200 11-by-17-inch posters and a dozen 24-by-36-inch sandwich board-style signs — Saxbury and Lions Club will encourage downtown businesses to put water bowls outside and help collect booties for pet owners who need them.

Saxbury said volunteers began this week, hanging posters and planning where to place sandwich boards so that they won’t break rules about signage in the public right of way. City council members met last week to deliberate on the placement of sandwich boards; the signs will be permitted during special events and outside the right of way, but not on downtown sidewalks.

Kimberly Lopez, co-owner of Volamos Boutique off Pine Street, posted a flyer in her window last week and said she hopes other communities follow Central Point’s lead when it comes to protecting dogs.

“It’s a cool idea, and something that I think everybody knows makes a lot of sense,” Lopez said.

“It feels like a very Central Point thing to do, but we’re hoping other communities will jump on the bandwagon and do the same thing.”

Hew McElroy, a Lions Club member and owner of Crater Cafe, said his business would collect the donated booties and distribute posters to businesses who’d like to display one. To get a poster, or donate booties, visit the cafe, 327 E. Pine St., between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

A reminder, McElroy said: If you can’t hold your hand on the hot pavement for longer than five seconds, “it’s too hot for your dog!”

“We’re just all about protecting pets from the dangerous heat conditions of summer,” he added.

“It’s the humane thing to do.”