BC SPCA constables responded to a call over the weekend to assist a dog in distress in a locked car.

On Saturday the BC SPCA Burnaby Branch received a call from a Good Samaritan who noticed a puppy confined in a kennel in a car which was sitting in direct sunlight in the Burnaby BCIT parking lot. The dog was barking and it did not appear that any water had been left for the animal. With the exception of the vehicle’s sunroof which was slightly open, all the vehicle’s windows were closed.

A BC SPCA Special Provincial Constable attended on scene and BCIT security tracked down the car’s owner, who had been absent for approximately two hours. The five-month old pup was not breathing and unresponsive when she was removed from the car. The constable attempted to revive the dog with mouth-to-nose resuscitation and by applying cooling water to her body but it was too late to save the puppy. The BC SPCA will recommend charges of animal cruelty under the PCA Act.

Each year, the animal welfare organization responds to hundreds of complaints about dogs left in hot cars. On a warm day, temperatures inside a parked car can quickly climb well above 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Dogs can withstand high temperatures for only a very short time, usually just 10 minutes, before suffering irreparable brain damage or death.

The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a not-for-profit organization reliant on public donations. Our mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.