St. Catharines owners continue to leave pets in hot vehicles

An Ontario SPCA officer in St. Catharines broke the window of a truck to save a dog that was that was trapped in the heat on Friday. A day later, in the same area, people continue to leave their pets in their cars.

The Lincoln County Humane Society received a call at 1:30 p.m. Friday from a passerby who saw a french bulldog panting in a truck. The vehicle was parked in a parking lot at a power centre on Fourth Avenue in St. Catharines. The windows were open only a few centimeters.

The owner was charged with failing to provide proper ventilation under city bylaw, which is less severe than being charged under the Ontario SPCA act. This is because the dog was only slightly over heated, and was able to recover quickly after being checked out by a vet.

Besides putting the health of his dog at risk it was also a very expensive day for the owner. His bylaw charge was $250, another $150 went to the humane society for their services, the vet bill was $100 and the cost of having to replace his window.

The dog was returned to his owner after a visit to the vet.

Less than 24 hours later in the same parking lot, two dogs were left in a van.

The Humane Society says they do not have the right to withhold a pet from its owner. If the owner complies with what is required for the well being of their animal. In this case the humane society says the owner was very remorseful and they believe he learned his lesson.