KELOWNA – As the Okanagan gets hit by another heat wave, the SPCA and the RCMP are once again urging animal owners not to leave their pets in hot cars. While the message is repeated time and time again, it still seems to be falling on deaf ears when it comes to some people.
“Across the province last year the B.C.SPCA received more than 1,100 calls to respond to animals,“ says Suzanne Pugh, manager of the Kelowna SPCA branch. “The number sadly this year is on the rise.”
On Thursday afternoon, the SPCA together with the Kelowna RCMP held a news conference to remind the public how deadly a hot car can be for an animal.
“It can take as little as 10 minutes for the temps in the car to cause irreparable damage to your animal,’ says SPCA animal protection officer Kathy Woodward.
RCMP say they take the matter of animals left in hot cars very seriously and do take action if needed.
“In some cases they have no choice, they will break the window or they will gain entry to the vehicle and take the animal out,” says Constable Steve Holmes. “If there is enough evidence in the investigation, that person can be charged under the criminal code for neglect and causing suffering to an animal.”
Ironically, while the news conference was taking place, SPCA staff were suddenly called away to deal with the exact situation they are so desperately trying to prevent. Two dogs were left inside a very hot vehicle in downtown Kelowna Thursday afternoon. While three windows were left open, the temperature inside registered at a scorching 42 degrees. With no airflow and the animals left unattended for more than two hours, the owners, a Quebec couple, were issued a $150 ticket upon their return.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan was the first in the country to make leaving animals in hot cars a ticketable offence. Other jurisdictions are now following suit.
If you see an animal locked in a hot vehicle in distress, you’re asked to contact RCMP or the SPCA’s hotline at 1-855-622-7722.
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