Leaving your dog in a hot car can be deadly
Dogs left in hot cars can die, and each summer, the warnings seem to come out earlier than the summer before.
Tips and cautions are posted on social media, radio, television and print by police, local SPCAs, rescue organizations and shelters. But sadly, some dog owners ignore the alerts and leave their dogs in danger of heat stroke or death.
On June 7, 2022, the Chronicle Herald printed an article about a dog walker in Toronto. The dog walker was charged a second time for leaving a dog in a hot car. Both dogs died.
The fine in Halifax for leaving a dog in a hot car is $697 and I feel a lifetime ban from owning animals should follow that fine.
When you leave your car in the sun or the shade, your vehicle can turn into an oven quickly. Your dog can start to suffer in a matter of minutes and perish. It is an excruciating death. Their little bodies dehydrate and organs begin to shut down and suffocate slowly. Dogs cool themselves through panting and small sweat glands on their paws. If you feel your dog is dehydrated, wrap them in a cool, wet towel and immediately take them to the veterinary clinic.
Dogs left unattended in cars can have several dire consequences. You may believe you’re quickly running into a store, but you could have a medical emergency and may not be able to make it back to your car. Your car may be broken into and your dog stolen. Your stolen dog may end up at a puppy mill, used as bait in dog fighting rings, sold on the internet or abused by unscrupulous individuals. Leaving your dog unattended in your car makes them vulnerable to many harmful situations.
Leaving your dog unattended in your car also leaves your family open to heartbreak. A few years ago, two black Labrador retrievers were left in a vehicle at a hospital in Halifax. The car was stolen and the family was devastated. Police and the SPCA were contacted and media outlets covered the story. Fortunately, the vehicle was found in a different location about six days later and the dogs appeared unharmed. The owner of the dogs was overwhelmed with emotion and very thankful his beloved dogs had been found. He said he would never take his dogs for a drive again.
If you want to take your four-legged friends for a drive, then take your pet for a drive but make that drive your sole purpose of pleasing your dog. Take your pet to a drive-thru Tim Hortons, Dairy Queen, McDonalds or Swiss Chalet. Your dog would love to spend that quality time with you. If you are running errands, leave your dog at home. It is as simple as that. You have their lives in your hands.
Please be kind to animals.
Tracy Jessiman is a pet portrait artist who lives in Halifax with her husband and their three pets. She has been rescuing animals most of her life, but more intimately, animals rescued her.