The BC SPCA has received 151 calls to reports dogs in hot cars so far this May, compared to 114 during the same period in 2015.
Lorie Chortyk, general manager, Community Relations with the BC SPCA says in 2015, they received 1,529 calls about animals in distress in hot cars.
She says as the days get hotter, they urge people to leave their pets at home as even 10 minutes in a hot car can kill a pet.
The BC SPCA only has 25 constables working in the province so Chortyk says the best thing to do if anyone sees an animal in distress is to call their local animal control or the non-emergency line of the local police or RCMP first.
Police say, if you find an animal in a vehicle that appears to be in distress follow these steps:
- attempt to provide shade or water for the animal
- look for the owner of the car, go to nearby stores or if possible have the owner paged
- call your animal control or your local police agency
- stay near the car until the police officer arrives
If you observe an animal panting, shaking uncontrollably, acting lethargic and appearing to be uncoordinated, then this may be a critical situation requiring police or animal control. Police say if a vehicle needs to be broken into and animal control has been called, they will contact a local tow company to open a locked door. Police officers if warranted, can break a window and remove the animal, but this will always be a last resort and only done to save the life of the animal.
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