With the arrival of summer weather, the RCMP and BC SPCA see an increase in calls from concerned citizens about the well-being of animals left unattended in hot vehicles.
“When the days get warmer we get hundreds of emergency calls to rescue dogs whose lives are endangered because they are left in hot cars by their guardians,” says Lorie Chortyk, general manager of community relations for the BC SPCA. “Many well-meaning guardians leave their dogs unattended in parked cars while they run errands. Tragically, this can lead to serious heatstroke and even death for their pets in as little as 10 minutes.”
But Penticton RCMP Corporal Martin Trudeau says it’s important to call the SPCA or police if you see an animal in potential distress.
“Though well intended, some citizens may find themselves with an urge to force their way into a vehicle hoping to free a distressed animal,” he says. “Such an act on their part constitutes an act of mischief under the Criminal Code as only authorized agents such as the police or SPCA special constables have the authority to enter a premise or vehicle without a warrant to assist an animal in critical distress.”
He urges anyone who has concerns about an animal left in a hot vehicle to please contact the SPCA, who can assess the situation and can liaise with the police to ensure proper action is taken to relieve the distress of the animal. To report concerns about an animal in distress in a hot car, please call the BC SPCA’s toll-free animal cruelty hotline at 1-855-622-7722 during working hours or your local RCMP after hours.
For more information about dogs in hot cars, or to find out how you can help raise awareness of this issue in your community, visit spca.bc.ca.
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