Halifax Regional Police charged two men on Friday for leaving their dogs in hot cars.
In a release, police said officers responded to a report of a dog in distress inside a car in a parking lot in Dartmouth around 11:40 a.m. It said a passerby opened the door and took the dog out before police arrived.
When the owner returned to his car, he was issued a summary offence ticket under the Animal Protection Act for causing distress to an animal.
Later in the day, just before 3:30 p.m., police responded to another call from a passerby about a dog inside a hot car in a parking lot in Halifax.
“The owner was located in a nearby business and the dog was found to be hot but unharmed,” it said.
He, too, was charged under the Animal Protection Act. That charge carries a fine of $697.50.
According to Environment Canada, temperatures in the Halifax area hit a high of 30 C on Friday, with a humidex of 39 C.
“On a warm day, even with the windows open, a parked vehicle quickly becomes like a furnace and presents potentially fatal conditions for pets left inside,” the police release said.
“When the temperatures start to climb, we encourage pet owners to not leave their pets unattended in vehicles, even for a few minutes.”