Canine friends won’t necessarily find being in a vehicle on a summer day a joy ride. Okotoks municipal enforcement officers issued a ticket to a person who left his or her dog in a parked vehicle, which had reached more than Death-Valley-like temperatures on Monday. “We attended a call about a dog left in a hot car and once we attended the temperature-reading device determined the temperature was 55 Celsius,” said Okotoks municipal enforcement officer Andy Wiebe. “The temperature outside was 31C, the dog was showing some signs of distress.” The officers were able to locate the dog owner and he was charged. “The dog also had no access to water, so under our bylaws, if a dog is in a vehicle, there has to be ventilation and water,” Wiebe said. The windows were partially open in the vehicle, which was parked at the Centennial Centre on the black asphalt. Wiebe, a dog owner, said seeing animals in hot vehicles, hits him and his fellow officers hard. “Pets are family and you wouldn’t leave your family member like that,” he said. “Windows open are not, it is brutally hot.” Wiebe said he has not ever had to damage a vehicle to get access to a dog, but municipal officers would do so if needed. Unfortunately, a dog in a hot car is nothing new. “With my own dog, I take a look at the temperature and I say: ‘hey, I am going to leave my dog at home today,” Wiebe said. “Leave your dog at home — the dog is okay. “This is something I am passionate about. A large part of our job is animal control, dogs at large, unregistered dogs, dogs in hot cars…” Wiebe said fortunately, he’s not seen a dog left in a hot car that has needed medical attention. “But I have seen dogs that are close to unconsciousness, panting…” he said. The Town of Okotoks issued a press release concerning the issue, warning against leaving animals in cars, even if it doesn’t feel hot outside at the time. Temperatures can rise to dangerous levels in as little as 10 minutes and having partially open windows does not effectively lower the vehicle’s interior temperature. Organ failure, shock and death can result. People who witness dogs in hot cars are asked to call Municipal Enforcement at 403-938-8913 immediately. The fine for leaving a dog in a hot vehicle is $200 for the first offence.
