Due to the extreme heat forecasted for the greater Milwaukee area this week, and under the direction of Mayor Tom Barrett, all Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) locations will extend their hours of operation from Tuesday, July 19 through Friday, July 22.

MPL is already designated as a city “Cool Spot”, where people trying to cope with the excessive heat can visit to cool off and relax.

The only exception is Tippecanoe branch library, 3912 S. Howell Ave., which is closed until further notice because of a broken air-conditioning unit.

Extended hours for all 13 MPL locations are as follows:

Central Library downtown: 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily, July 19-22

All MPL neighborhood branches: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily, July 19-22:

1. Atkinson Library, 1960 W. Atkinson Ave.

2. Bay View Library, 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

3. Capitol Library, 3969 N. 74th St.

4. Center Street Library, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.

Several calls from concerned citizens have prompted the Wisconsin Humane Society to appeal to businesses to post signs warning customers to not leave animals in the car.

This summer, the shelter has already seen surrendered animals suffering from heatstroke. Just like people, animals can get heat stroke and heat exhaustion. They cannot regulate their body temperature like people and different breeds respond to hot weather differently.

Some tips to consider: NEVER leave your animal in a parked car even with the windows down, walk you dog during cooler parts of the day, allow access tot he coolest part of your home, take extra precautions for older, overweight, or snub-nosed dogs, and watch for signs and take to a vet if needed.