As temperatures continue to increase, BC SPCA is reminding the public that leaving pets in hot vehicles can be life threatening.
They said in 2023, their animal helpline received 837 calls about animals in hot cars, and 257 calls so far in 2024, which is expected to climb.
Senior Officer for Protection and Stakeholder Relations, Eileen Drever said “We hear it all the time, ‘I was just running into the store, I was only gone a few minutes!’ but what many people don’t understand is that even a few minutes can have fatal effects for an animal.”
The BC SPCA noted that breaking a car window to remove an animal is illegal and dangerous for both the human and animal, and should only be done by local authorities and animal protection officers.
If there are concerns about an animal sitting in a potential hot car, take note of the license plate, vehicle colour, the make and model and contact the local businesses to have the animal owner paged to return to their vehicle.
The public is asked to call RCMP or the BC SPCA Animal Helpline if the animal shows signs of distress.
More information can be found on the BC SPCA website here.
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