People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has turned its collective eye toward Collingwood after learning a dog was rescued from a hot car in the local movie theatre parking lot.
Collingwood and The Blue Mountains OPP were called to the scene on Saturday, July 14, and reported the dog was in distress. The car was opened by a tow truck company and the dog was freed and taken to the animal shelter. The owner of the dog came out of the movie theatre two and a half hours later and police laid charges under Collingwood’s responsible pet ownership act.
“Following recent reports that a dog was rescued from a hot car in Collingwood on Saturday, PETA is issuing an urgent warning about the importance of never leaving animals in hot vehicles,” reads a statement emailed to CollingwoodToday.ca from the PETA office in Washington, DC. “Already this year there have been at least 37 hot weather-related animal deaths, and these are just the ones that have been reported. Most aren’t.”
PETA’s campaign titled “Too Hot for Spot” reminds pet owners the temperature inside a parked car climbs fast. In fact, on a 25 degrees Celsius day, the temperature inside a parked car can reach 37 degrees Celsius in minutes. In outdoor temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius, the temperature inside a parked car can reach 42 degrees Celsius in less than 10 minutes. Temperatures inside a parked car, even one that is parked in the shade with the windows open, can cause heat stroke in animals quickly, according to PETA.
The temperatures in Collingwood on Saturday, July 14 ranged from 17 to 28 degrees Celsius before the humidex factor.
If you see a dog that appears in distress in a parked car, you can call local police via the 24-hour non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122. You can also call the SPCA from anywhere in Ontario by dialling 310-SPCA. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also runs a campaign in the summer called No Hot Pets, intended to bring awareness to the dangers of pets left in vehicles. Learn more about it here.
