Spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner. With the change in seasons comes a change in weather and temperatures. Members from the Northumberland Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) would like to remind residents and visitors to the area not to leave your pets unattended in parked vehicles.
Each year the OPP get a large number of calls from concerned citizens regarding pets left inside unattended vehicles during the warmer months.
Be mindful that parked vehicles can quickly reach deadly temp eratures, even on relatively mild days with the vehicle parked in the shade and the windows slightly open. Dogs have a limited ability to sweat, even for a short time in a hot environment. This can result in serious medical distress or even death of your pet. It only takes minutes for a dog to feel the life threatening effects of a hot car
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If you witness a dog left in a vehicle that appears to be in distress, you are asked to contact the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) at 310-SPCA (7722) or the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Continue to monitor the situation and wait for officers to arrive.
The OPP would like to remind pet owners that not only could it be fatal for your pet, but it can also result in a charge being laid under the Ontario SPCA Act or the Criminal Code of Canada.