BC SPCA urges keeping pets out of hot vehicles as summer weather arrives

With summer weather arriving in BC, the BC SPCA is urging the public to remember the risks associated with leaving pets in vehicles on hot days.

“People underestimate how rapidly a vehicle can heat up to dangerous levels, putting animals at risk of fatal consequences,” said BC SPCA Senior Officer of Protection Eileen Drever.

“We also tend to miscalculate how long we’ll be away from our cars. We think we’re just running into the store for one item, but the line ups are long, we stop to chat with an acquaintance, and five minutes turns into half an hour or more while your pet suffers in the heat.”

According to the BC SPCA, even a few minutes can be life-threatening for animals.

Drever added that while leaving the air conditioning on or the windows down may seem like a good option, it’s not a reliable solution.

“If the air conditioning fails, your pet could still be in danger,” she said.

“At the end of the day, it’s best to simply leave your dog at home where there’s more space, water and shade.”

Last year, the BC SPCA’s Animal Helpline received 841 calls about animals in hot cars, and so far this year, they’ve already received 164 calls.

According to the BC SPCA, the following steps should be made if you have concerns about an animal sitting in a potentially hot car:

• Take note of the license plate, vehicle colour, make and model and connect with nearby businesses to have the animal owner paged to return to their vehicle immediately.

• If the animal is showing signs of distress (exaggerated panting or no panting at all, salivating, an anxious or staring expression, muscle tremors or lack of coordination, convulsions, vomiting, collapse), call your local animal control agency, police department or RCMP, or the BC SPCA Animal Helpline at 1-855-622-7722 as soon as possible.

• Remember to relay location information of the car including city, address and landmarks, especially if the vehicle is in a busy parking lot.

The BC SPCA also said there are some things that you should not do:

• Don’t ignore an animal in distress. We understand life is busy, but at the very least, pass along the information to a nearby business or authority.

• Do NOT break the window.

• Do NOT confront the animal owner. 

• Don’t force water into the animal.