Calgary couple fined $2,500 for leaving dog in hot van during concert

A Calgary couple who left their dog in a sweltering minivan while they took their children to a concert last August were fined $1,250 each Tuesday.

Garth Mackenzie, 55, and Bernadine Lucyshun, 47, each pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide proper care under the Animal Protection Act.

Around 5 p.m. on Aug. 17, 2013, the family parked their white minivan near 78th Street and 118th Avenue and left their Maltese, Buddy, inside while they went to a Selena Gomez concert at Rexall Place. They cracked a window, and left food and water inside the vehicle.

“As a result of the heat, that proved to be insufficient,” Crown prosecutor Christian Lim told court.

Shortly after, a mother dropping her kids off at the concert noticed Buddy panting inside the van on her way to the stadium, then again on her way back. She called 911. “The dog was lethargic, panting and barking,” Lim said. “It appeared to be trying to get fresh air through the crack in the window. His eyes were glazed. The animal was in distress.”

While the temperature outside that day was 23 C, it reached 43 C inside the minivan, Lim told court.

Around 6:45, firefighters forced the minivan open and Buddy was taken to the city’s Animal Protection Office. Mackenzie and Lucyshun were apologetic and concerned when they returned to their vehicle to check on Buddy, court heard.

In hindsight, Lim said, the couple agreed they should have left Buddy in their hotel room instead of the van.

“This is a beloved pet,” defence lawyer Patrick Edgerton told court. “They would never have done anything to hurt him. I certainly don’t think this is something that will ever happen again.”

Buddy recovered fully.