(WSBT) Monday marked the third consecutive day of temperatures above 90 degrees in northern Indiana. But the extreme heat and humidity aren't just hard on people. The combination is also very dangerous for pets.

State laws require everyone to provide adequate food, shelter and water for their pets. Experts say leaving pets in a hot car falls under those laws as well.

Eric Durcinka, the Executive Director for the Elkhart County Humane Society, says it's important to recognize a potentially dangerous situation before it happens.

"An animal can't express to you when they're overheating, when they need water," Durcinka told WSBT News. "They're not going to be able to tell you when they need shelter. You're going to look out and you're going to see your dog laying there and you're going to think everything's fine. But really your animal could be dehydrating right in front of your eyes."

Durcinka says the first sign of dehydration is very heavy panting. He says the first thing you should do is remove the animal from the environment, then small give it small amounts of water.