Hot dogs on warning menu
It’s a familiar warning for pet owners — don’t leave your dog in the car.
As the first string of hot summer days hit Kamloops this week, local Mounties began receiving calls about dogs left alone in parked vehicles.
“Every year about this time we get this,” said Kamloops RCMP Const. Bernie Ward.
“The bottom line is you don’t realize how quickly a car heats up. Even if you open the window, it heats to excess.
“Dogs, they heat up quicker than a human being, and they can’t help themselves.”
Such was the case in Burnaby last weekend when a six-month-old puppy died after being locked in a car for three hours.
The car was parked in the sun at the B.C. Institute of Technology and the inside of the vehicle had risen to 68 C even though the sunroof had been opened a crack.
Animal-cruelty charges are being considered.
Ward said police will break into a vehicle to retrieve a distressed dog if they can’t locate the owner.
“So, then you’re out money for repairs, too,” he said.
“And, you could be facing charges under the Criminal Code for cruelty to animals.”
Sarah Gerow, acting manager of the Kamloops branch of the BCSPCA, said pet owners often don’t realize how much danger they’re putting their companions in.
“It can take as little as 10 minutes and it can mean death for a dog,” she said. “Leave them at home. If you have to take them with you, make sure you are with them at all times.”
If you see a dog in distress, call police at 250-828-3000.
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