A dog named Meatball died after overheating in an exterior kennel at Washoe County Regional Animal Services, and the shelter has now changed how it cleans kennels to prevent another death.

The agency, which serves Reno, Sparks, and the surrounding Washoe County area, said the incident happened the morning of July 15.

Staff had moved Meatball outside so crews could clean his indoor kennel, a routine practice meant to keep animals and workers safe during cleaning.

Some of the shelter’s exterior kennels face east and can sit in direct sun depending on the time of day and year.

Temperatures that morning were only in the 80s, but staff found Meatball in medical distress. He was rushed to Blue Pearl Emergency Veterinary Hospital, where he was ultimately euthanized to prevent further suffering.

The shelter said no set of procedures can eliminate every risk, but called it their responsibility to learn from what happened and strengthen how they care for animals, reports News 4 Reno.

The shelter has since made several changes. Caretakers assigned to warm-weather cleaning shifts will now start at 6:30 a.m. so east-facing kennel runs get cleaned first, before the morning sun becomes a factor.

Staff are also aiming to finish cleaning each kennel section within 30 minutes. If maintenance, painting, or construction forces animals to stay outside longer, workers will now check on them at least every 30 minutes.

The shelter has updated its kennel cleaning standard operating procedure to reflect the new timeline, and it reassigned some staff to public-facing duties like redemptions, microchipping, and intake so caretakers can stay focused on direct animal care during the busiest part of the cleaning process. Officials said they are also discussing adding shade to more of the outdoor kennel runs.

Washoe County Regional Animal Services is a government-run shelter that takes in roughly 9,900 animals a year across Reno, Sparks, and unincorporated Washoe County. Dog Friendly Las Vegas has previously covered the shelter’s efforts to get more dogs licensed and reunited with their owners, including a June promotion offering free dog licenses ahead of the Fourth of July.

The incident is a reminder for Southern Nevada dog owners, too. Heat-related illness in dogs can set in quickly even when outdoor temperatures do not feel extreme, and shaded, well-ventilated spaces make a meaningful difference.