HALIFAX – Taking your pets places during the summer months can be fun, but also dangerous. When left inside a hot vehicle, experts say animals can overheat in a matter of minutes.
“Somebody may go out for 5 minutes. ‘I’m going to grab a coffee with a friend, I’m going to the store,’ and in a short period of time, 10 to 15 minutes, the inside temperature of a vehicle can skyrocket,” said Catherine Stevens, with the Nova Scotia Disaster Animal Response Team or DART.
The non-profit organization is trying to educate the public about the dangers animals face with the Life Meter for Pets. The idea is to place the adhesive thermometer on the inside of your vehicle’s window. Once it’s on, the temperature of your car’s interior will be displayed for everyone to see and understand how quickly vehicle heat up.
“You can look at any vehicle and say, ‘wow, I didn’t think it was that hot out.'” Stevens told Global News.
She says more people are now recognizing the dangers of leaving an animal unattended outside in the summer months, or inside a hot vehicle.
“With social media, I think now it’s being more recognized and there’s a lot of people who find it less acceptable.”
Dog owner Perry Falconer says he is always looking out for pets in distress in the summer months.
“I’m kind of an activist pet owner,” he said. “I’ve called the police on people a time or two, taking pictures of cars and putting them up on Twitter that kind of thing.”
When it’s too warm, it’s recommended you leave your animals at home. If your pets have to be outside during a heat wave, it’s suggested you find shade and rest often to avoid overheating.
“If it’s warm for us, it’s warm for them. If you’re thirsty, they’re probably thirsty. So treat them the way you would yourself,” said dog owner, Anita Keeping.
Anyone looking to order a Life Meter can go to dartns.org.
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