Owners Charged After Dogs Left In Cars

(COLLINGWOOD AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, ON) Officers from the Collingwood and The Blue Mountains detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were called to two separate incidents of dogs left in parked vehicles over the course of the weekend.

The first incident took place on September 5 2016 at approximately 5:00pm at a Blue Mountain Resort parking lot on Jozo Weider Boulevard where police were dispatched to several reports of a dog left in vehicle. The officer on scene observed a dog, which appeared in distress, in a parked van with the windows shut. The officer gained access to the van by smashing a window and taking the dog out to provide it with water aiding it in cooling down. The owner, a 77 year-old female from Oakville, subsequently attended the vehicle where she was charged accordingly under the Collingwood by-law.

The second such incident took place a few hours later on the same date, this one at the Wal-Mart parking lot on Cambridge Street in Collingwood. The officer arrived on scene and observed a dog which appeared in distress, in a parked vehicle with the windows slightly open. In this case the owner, a 55 year-old male from Collingwood, returned to the vehicle as the officer was at scene and was also charged under the Collingwood by-law.

OPP officers would like to remind the public 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.

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