LETTER

Dogs left in cars 

With the onset of warm weather, the media has documented cases of dogs left in cars. Dogs are part of our lives, and people bring them everywhere they go as often as possible. Because they are not yet quite accepted in stores, consumers leave them in their cars while they shop. The Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) Canada is calling on all business owners and corporations to accept the dogs of their customers to save lives.

The heat inside a vehicle when the ambient temperature is 26 degrees Celsius can reach 37 degrees in just 10 minutes.  Even if the outside temperature is not high, the interior temperature of a car in the sun, even with half-open windows, can soar. Dogs take their heat off by panting and by the pads under their paws, but these are limited in situations where the temperature rises quickly as in a car.

The internal temperature of a dog is 38.5 degrees C. When it reaches 42 degrees, the animal becomes hyperthermic and can suffer damage to internal organs or even die within 15 minutes due to reduced blood pressure and lack of oxygenation of cells. 

What to do if you witness a dog alone in a car: The situation becomes critical when the animal is lying, eyes rolled up and does not respond. In this case, the animal must be released from this fatal situation immediately by any means possible, be given water, wet its fur with lukewarm water (never cold) and must be brought to a veterinarian. In cases where all means have been used, it is legitimate to break the window of the vehicle to save a dog from certain death.

In less critical situations, take the vehicle’s license plate number as well as the brand and color of the car and call the police.  The police could file criminal charges against the owner of the animal depending on the intensity of the case. If the car is in a store parking lot, ask a manager to make a call throughout the store to find the owner of the vehicle. 

Many stores accept dogs in their stores.  It’s best to call the places you intend to visit to ask them permission because the final decision remains with the manager.

SPA Canada invites the public to ask store managers to implement dog-friendly regulations. Like any public pressure, the more demands from consumers, the better the response of companies. Otherwise leave your dog at home instead of leaving them in your car, no matter how long.

Dominique Routhier, 

animal biologist, 

CEO of SPA Canada, 

Ottawa