As the brutal heat and humidity of the last few days lingers, it's not only people who need to stay safe, but we have to keep our pets safe as well.

A hot humid day could easily end in tragedy, like this horrible story of neglect from Brick this past weekend.

The Humane Society of the United States shares a number of best practices to keep in mind when temperatures and humidity soars:

Never (ever) leave a dog in the car when temperatures spike.

In fact, the Humane Society gives zero room for interpretation, saying, "Not even for a minute. Not even with the car running and air conditioner on."

High humidity is just as dangerous as high heat.

According to a Humane Society veterinarian, "If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly."

Use common sense.

Just think of the things that we do for ourselves on hot days - we try to stay in the air conditioning, stay hydrated, and even something as simple as avoiding walking on hot asphalt. It's common sense for people, and is just as important for our dogs.

The Humane Society's website has many more pointers for both keeping our pets safe in sweltering summer weather as well as how to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Just click here for much more from the HSUS.