837 calls about animals in hot cars made to SPCA last year

Temperatures will break the 30-degree mark in Prince George for the first time this year over the next few days.

The SPCA is urging people to take extra care of their pets during this time, especially if they are joining you in the car.

“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,” says Eileen Drever, senior officer for protection and stakeholder relations for the BC SPCA.

“You might think your pet wants the company of joining you on your errands. Unless you know for sure you can bring them with you into the stores you plan to visit, we encourage you to leave pets at home where the temperature is more controlled, there’s more space and they have easy access to fresh water.”

The BC SPCA say they got 837 calls about a animals in a hot car last year, and have already had 257 this year.

“Only RCMP, local police, and BC SPCA animal protection officers have the authority to enter a vehicle lawfully to help a pet in distress,” Drever said, adding breaking a car window to retrieve an animal is dangerous for you and the animal inside.

If you see an animal in a hot car, the SPCA recommends you take the following steps:

1. 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.
2. 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 [tel://+18556227722]1-855-622-7722 as soon as possible.
3. Remember to relay location information of the car including city and landmarks, especially if the vehicle is located in a busy parking lot, and listen to the instructions of the call takers.

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