SPCA warns against pets in hot cars as temperatures rise
Posted May 2, 2018 5:10 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The BC SPCA is out with a seasonal reminder to keep your pets out of your car as temperatures rise.
“It just seems the message isn’t getting out to people,” says Lori Chortyk, general manager of community relations, who explains the BC SPCA got more than 1,000 calls last year about animals in distress in hot cars.
“We know that people bring their pets with them on their errands because they love their pets,” she adds. “They want to be with them and we know that people would never intentionally putting their pet’s life in danger.”
Dogs are unable to get rid of the heat from their body, which is why they pant.
Watch: The SPCA explains how quickly pets can suffer damage to their brain, internal organs and even death in as little as 10 to 20 minutes if left in a hot car.
Chortyk says it only takes a few minutes before pets start getting injured. “They think if they park in the shade or they have the windows cracked open a little bit that their pet will be OK. They don’t realize that it can take as little as 10 minutes for a pet in a hot car to suffer brain damage or unfortunately to die.”
You’re advised against breaking a car window if you see a pet in distress as that is technically illegal unless you are a police officer or an SPCA constable.
You’re urged to call the animal cruelty hotline if you see an animal in a hot car.
