(COLLINGWOOD, ON) Officers from the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged a dog owner after officers received reports of a dog being left in a car in a downtown parking lot.
On July 24 2016 at approximately 4:45pm officers received information about a small dog being in a vehicle in downtown Collingwood. The complainant was able to remove the dog from the car prior to police arrival and gave it some water to cool down as it was panting heavily. The owner of the dog could not be located at scene and as such the dog was taken to detachment to wait for its owner.
The owner eventually called police to report that his dog had been taken from his vehicle where he was advised to attend the OPP detachment. The dog was returned to him and the 53 year-old male from Brampton was charged under the Collingwood Responsible Pet Ownership by-law. The dog did not suffer any lasting effects from the incident.
OPP officers would like to remind residents and visitors to the area not to leave their pets unattended in parked cars.
Be mindful that parked cars can quickly reach deadly temperatures, even on relatively mild days with the car parked in the shade and the windows slightly open. Dogs have a limited ability to sweat; even a short time in a hot environment can be life-threatening. A dog’s normal body temperature is about 39°C and a temperature of 41°C can be withstood only for a very short time before irreparable brain damage or even death can occur.