HALIFAX – The warmer weather may be good for you, but it can be deadly for your pet when they are left outside in vehicles.
“The cars heat up so fast and our animals have no ability to get away from the heat,” said Emma Slater, a veterinarian at 4 Paws Veterinary Hospital.
Slater said within minutes of being left in vehicle on a hot day, your pet could be in trouble.
“It happens really fast and it’s just not worth the risk,” she said. “Overheating causes your organs to shut down and you can die from it. So, the problem being these animals are wearing fur coats, they have no way to escape the heat and they’re stuck there, so it’s a really dangerous situation.”
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Slater said parking in the shade isn’t enough to protect your animal. Neither is cracking a window.
“Our animals suffer heat stroke, heat exhaustion the same way humans do. The difference of course is that our animals are wearing a fur coat, they don’t sweat the same way that humans do.”
Halifax Regional Police have responded to 15 calls in one week about animals being left in parked vehicles in the hot sun. None of the animals was injured, but all of the occurrences happened in retail areas, leaving police to remind shoppers to leave your pets at home.
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“Look after your pet and don’t leave them unattended in vehicles,” said Sgt. Gerald Gibbons of the Halifax Regional Police.
Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth, N.S., will be renewing its Pet Patrol that it started last year. The goal is to create a visible presence at the mall and monitor parking lots to ensure no pets are left unattended in vehicles.
Until then, pet owners like Mike Duckworth are using common sense when it comes to going to the mall and caring for his dog, Bella.
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