BURST
A woman in Coquitlam was fined $500 this week after leaving two dogs inside her parked vehicle while she visited a nearby business.
The Coquitlam RCMP and Coquitlam bylaw services confirmed to Postmedia they were called after a bystander spotted what appeared to be two dogs inside a parked car just after noon on Wednesday at Sunwood Square, a shopping centre in the 3000 block of Lougheed Highway.
Police and bylaw officers said the driver was nowhere in sight.
“While assessing the situation, the owner of the dogs returned to her vehicle and was issued a bylaw ticket,” the statement read. It’s unclear how long the dogs had been left in the vehicle or where the driver had gone while the car was parked.
Temperatures reached a high of 25 on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Canada Safety Council, temperatures inside a car can climb 20 degrees higher than outside temperature in as little as 20 minutes.
“The public is reminded to not leave your pet in a vehicle on a warm or hot day,” said Coquitlam bylaw services senior manager Sarah Bird.
“Even parked in the shade or with windows open, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach dangerous levels in a short period of time.”
A public post was also shared to a Tricities Facebook group by an anonymous bystander Wednesday around 1:30 p.m., detailing what appears to be the same incident confirmed by Coquitlam RCMP.
The post included a photo of a white Hyundai being inspected by bylaw officers while parked in front of the White Spot at Sunwood Square.
“Today, I observed two large breed senior dogs in a hot car for over an hour,” the individual wrote. “I called the SPCA, police, RCMP, and then bylaw.”
The anonymous individual then went on to say bylaw officers arrived within five minutes, with police following shortly after. The post also suggests the driver had been enjoying a meal at a nearby Cora’s before returning to the car.
“This lady should consider herself lucky that her windows weren’t smashed and her dogs weren’t apprehended,” the post concluded.
In 2024, the most recent year for which data was available, the B.C. SPCA’s animal help line received 841 reports about animals found in hot cars.
What should I do if I spot a dog in a hot car?
If you spot an animal inside a parked car on a hot day, the B.C. SPCA recommends you make a note of the licence plate and vehicle description and contact the nearest business to have the animal’s owner paged immediately.
If the animal appears to be in distress, contact the local animal control agency, police or RCMP, or the B.C. SPCA animal help line at 1-855-622-7722 immediately. Be sure to provide the exact location of the vehicle, as well as a description of the vehicle and the dog.
What should I not do if I spot a dog in a hot car?
Many people may feel compelled to break a window if they spot a dog in a hot car, but it’s not recommended . For starters, this can risk injury to themselves and the animal.
The B.C. SPCA also does not recommend confronting the animal owner or driver, and advises not to force water into the animal.
The only people who have authority to break into a vehicle lawfully to help a distressed pet are the police and B.C. SPCA special constables.