The RCMP in Nova Scotia has charged a woman for leaving two dogs in a vehicle “for a number of hours” while she played golf.
In a release, police say officers with the Annapolis district responded to a complaint around 3:20 p.m. Saturday of dogs being left in a car for more than two hours at a golf course on Highway 201 in West Paradise, which is about 2 hours outside of Halifax.
“Police attended and noted the temperature outside at the time be 27 degrees and that there were two dogs in the vehicle,” the release said.
“Police learned that the dogs had been left in the vehicle since 11 a.m.”
Officers found the owner of the car and gave her a summary offence ticket under the Animal Protection Act for causing an animal to be in distress. That ticket carries a fine of $697.50.
“On a warm day, even with the windows open, a parked vehicle quickly becomes like a furnace and creates potentially fatal conditions for pets left inside,” the 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.”
The release said that people who come across an animal in a car that seems to be in distress, they should try to look for the owner of the car. If they can’t find them, they should call the police and wait at the vehicle until police arrive. It said police shouldn’t be called unless the animal is “obviously distressed.”
If it’s unclear if the animal is in distress, they should call the Nova Scotia SPCA at 1-888-703-7722. They said people can follow up with the SPCA either online or by phone, and they should be sure to note the licence plate number.