Heat Warnings

The average temperature this week has been hovering between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.  Hot weather is great for the tan but not so much when we have to worry about our four legged friends.  I was snooping around the internet this morning and observed that on a hot day the temperature inside a vehicle can be 15 to 20 degrees hotter than what your feeling outside.  Open windows do help especially on a windy day, but it’s a gamble you’re taking any way you look at it.  Some people choose to leave a pet inside a vehicle with the air conditioner running.  While this can be effective, care must be taken as well.  Does your car starter work well and will it keep your vehicle running indefinitely?  Do you have enough gas to maintain your pet for an extended period of time?  Are there bylaws in your area prohibiting you from idling your vehicle endlessly?  I’d venture to say that your pet, if they could talk, would likely rather be left at home on the sofa or kennel rather than in a hot vehicle.

We do get calls like this all the time and our response is always the same.  If the animal is in distress we will first attempt to find the owner but barring that we will break a window to get the animal out.  We also forward the information to the SPCA who has jurisdiction over animal complaints such as these.  It’s embarrassing for the owner and certainly not pleasant for the animal so care must be taken.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the obvious risk of leaving a child inside a hot vehicle.  Recent cases in both Canada and the USA have resulted in manslaughter charges against careless parents too busy to properly care for their children.  If you see something that concerns you, please call us and we’ll take a look for you.  Stay Safe.