Will the April 8th Eclipse Be Harmful to Hudson Valley Pets?

Will The Eclipse Be Harmful to Hudson Valley Pets?

Recently as I was walking my dog, he looked up in the sky to track some birds. At that moment I thought to myself "What would happen if this was during the upcoming eclipse?" As humans, we're told to protect our eyes from the dangers of looking directly at the eclipse. Local Hudson Valley schools are even sending their students home early to avoid possibly dangerous situations with kids on buses looking up during the eclipse.

My Dog-Mom panic started to sink in. I can't be the only pet owner who thought about it.  What about the dogs?!

It's like Good Morning America read my mind, they recently reached out to The American Kennel Club to get more information about how to keep your pets safe during the April 8th eclipse.

GMA recently spoke with Dr. Jerry Klein,  who is the chief veterinary officer for the American Kennel Club. Dr. Klein tells GMA that dogs "only look up toward sky if something flies overhead or catches their attention."

He adds:

"In nature, we never see animals staring at the sun. As a veterinarian, when I have to look into eyes to look at their retina, dogs or cats don't like that. Nature is very smart if you let them be natural and not force them to do something that is not normal for them."

Dr. Klein's advice for pet owners during the eclipse is to keep your pets on their regular schedule and keep them inside for the duration of the eclipse, just in case any type of anxiety sets in for your dogs or cats.

Eclipse Forecast for The Hudson Valley

Will we even be able to see the eclipse on Monday, April 8th?  Scientifically speaking, yes. There will be a visible total solar eclipse from parts of Texas to Maine with parts of New York State in the pathway as well.

Viewers will be able to see a full eclipse  According to reports, the Hudson Valley will experience a partial solar eclipse starting at 2:11 pm. By 3:26 PM the sun and the moon should almost fully cover each other and the whole eclipse itself should be completed by 4:36 pm.

Read More: Safety Tips for Solar Eclipse in New York

Currently, the National Weather Service is forecasting a sunny day on Monday, April 8th, 2024 that will turn partly cloudy later at night. Fingers crossed we get a clear, safe, look at the amazing eclipse!

If you have the opportunity to travel outside of the Hudson Valley on April 8th, you'll be able to experience the eclipse for a longer amount of time. Take a look at the list below of the New York towns with the longest eclipse totality:

For those who are interested in the moon and space, check out the full moon schedule for the rest of 2024 here: