Police concerned of numerous reports of unattended pets in vehicles

RCMP are stressing the importance of not leaving children or pets unattended in vehicles.

With the temperature on the rise in Prince George, it’s especially important. However, in the Northern Capital alone, the RCMP responded to reports of no less than 23 complaints of pets being left unattended in May. An instance in which a child was left unattended was also responded to in PG this past weekend.

Fortunately, the toddler was found to be in good health. The parent of the child was located and cautioned about leaving the child, as well as reminded of the potential consequences with such action. The Ministry of Children and Family Development was also advised.

In the case of the multiple reports involving dogs, some of the cases were found to involve dogs in distress.

“This is obviously a concern for the police and the community as a whole when people see children and pets left in vehicles on a hot day. It’s a concern for them and they will generally phone us right away.” Cpl. Craig Douglass told MyPGNow. “We attend and often its a situation when the pet is not in distress, but that could change in moments, and that is certainly unacceptable behaviour.”

A study funded by General Motors of Canada found that within 20 minutes the air temperature in a small car exposed to the sun can reach temperatures of upwards to 50 degrees celsius.

In the case of children, extreme heat can hold a greater impact more quickly than adults because of their size. Their core temperature can increase three to five times faster than that of an adult. Heatstroke, or hyperthermia, occurs when the body’s core temperature reaches 40.5 degrees celsius.

“We will get somebody there right away — that’s an urgent call. In the case of an animal, you can contact the local SPCA,” said Douglass. “If it’s outside of a specific store, you can relay information to the manager of the store.”