KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's not just humans that need to stay cool during these dog days of summer — it's our four legged friends, too.
Bar K, a popular dog park, restaurant and bar in the River Market, is adjusting its hours to keep dogs and humans safe.
Wednesday and Thursday, its off-leash dog parks will be closed from noon to 6 p.m, the hottest hours of the day.
Leib Dodell, co-founder of Bar K, says this heat wave has been one of the hardest weeks he's seen for the park.
"It's been really, really challenging, especially for a business like ours that's all about being outside, but we have to put safety at the top of the list so we made the tough decision," Dodell shared.
While Bar K is keeping the park closed during the day, its trying something new, extending hours at night on Wednesday after the sun goes down.
"You know we've really created a community of people and dogs and we want to be there for them in challenging situations like this so to give people an extra two hours when it's hopefully a teensy bit cooler," Dodell said.
Dodell said while its the dog owner's prime responsibility to watch over their dog, Bar K makes it their responsibility to provide a safe place for everyone.
They have an air-conditioned space for dogs if they get overheated and dog thermometers to check their temperatures, as well as an abundance of shade and water for the pups.
