This time of year, the SPCA along with police and fire departments receive numerous emergency calls reporting animals left in hot cars.
It’s often by well-meaning pet owners who think it’s safe to leave their pet inside their cars for a short time while they run errands, said police.
Given the extreme heat the South Okanagan often experiences, pets can suffer heatstroke and become very ill and even die if left alone in a vehicle, even if the windows are down.
“Our frontline officers are often stretched thin responding to, and investigating serious incidents, and may not be able to attend to these “hot dog” reports as quickly as required,” said Penticton RCMP Const. James Grandy.
Even though officers would like to assist as quickly as possible, it may not always be possible to do so.
Within a few minutes, the temperature inside a parked car can reach dangerous levels, and lead to irrevocable damage to their health. If it’s 32 C outside, it’s 65 C inside a vehicle.
“If you think you’ll have to be in and out of your vehicle often, your dog may feel much better staying home with water and shade,” said Grandy.
For more information on keeping your pets safe this summer, visit the BC SPCA website.
Last year, during the heat dome, a 30-year-old Edmonton man took a cool dip in an Oliver lake and left his dog in a hot truck with outside temperatures reading 43 C on Sunday (June 27) 2021.
RCMP rescued the dog, provided water on the scene and with the assistance of a slice of cheese, the dog was corralled to a police car where it was brought to the Oliver detachment.
Also during the heat dome, a dog was found strapped to an RV in a crate during the heatwave. He too was found in Oliver.
READ MORE: Dog hauled in crate strapped behind RV during heatwave found safe in Oliver
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