CANADA -- As temperatures soared, a Chocolate Labrador mix died in the backseat of a parked car Sunday afternoon at Vaughan Mills shopping centre.
Two Sudbury residents in their early 20s face animal cruelty charges after a passerby spotted the dog in distress around 2:15 p.m. and notified mall security.
A security guard said his colleagues were called to the south end of the parking lot near Bass Pro Mills Dr. and notified emergency services. He said he’s never heard of a similar occurrence in his three years on the job.
York police say security personnel tried to splash water through a small opening in the window of the silver four-door Dodge Avenger. Fire crews later broke open the back-left window after the dog had fallen unconscious.
The mercury soared to 32º C (89.6º F) in Vaughan on Sunday, but the temperature inside the vehicle would have been much higher.
The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says a dog’s normal body temperature is about 39C and that dogs can only stand being 41C for a short time before irreparable brain damage or death occur.
Officials tried in vain to resuscitate the dog and impounded the car. A 21-year-old man and 20-year-old woman were both charged with causing unnecessary suffering to animals under the Criminal Code and will appear in court July 10.
“It’s such a tragedy. We hear about it every year,” said Barbara Steinhoff of the Toronto Humane Society. “They probably thought they were just gonna run in and run out, and in the end it’s a preventable tragedy.”
Dogs release heat slowly through panting, as they have no pores. While open windows and a bowl of water can help, Steinhoff said it’s safest to leave dogs at home. She said most cases happen when people are delayed after planning to only be gone a few minutes.
Breeds tolerate heat differently, Steinhoff said, noting that a husky might have had issues just being outside Sunday. She said even five minutes in a vehicle in the day’s blazing heat would be too much for most pets.
(The Star - June 10, 2012)
