Province Looks For Options to Rescue Pets from Hot Vehicles
Prince George, B.C. – The Province is looking for ways to make it easier to rescue animals that are suffering distress because they are in a locked, hot vehicle.
It only takes 20 minutes in a hot car for a dog, or other pet, to succumb to heat exhaustion.
Causing the animal that distress can lead to charges under B.C.’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The act also provides authority to SPCA officers to enter locked vehicles to relieve animals from critical distress.
So far this year, the SPCA has received more than 1,200 calls about animals left in hot vehicles. While the vast majority of those calls are in the lower mainland, RCMP Corporal Craig Douglass of the Prince George Detachment says members respond to a few of these types of calls each summer in Prince George as well.
The Provincial Government will be in consultation this fall with the SPCA, Police, the B.C. College of Veterinarians, UBCM and local governments to increase the options to rescue animals that have been left in cars and are suffering heat related distress.
The Government plans to have the changes in place by next spring.
In the meantime, anyone who spots an animal in distress in a vehicle, is urged to contact the BC SPCA’s Animal Cruelty Hotline at 1-855-622-7722.
Comments
“In the meantime, anyone who spots an animal in distress in a vehicle, is urged to contact the BC SPCA’s Animal Cruelty Hotline at 1-855-622-7722”
And if they don’t respond or they say that they can’t, then grab a rock or other hard object and do it yourself. How’s that for an easy option?
+1 NMG
How about more businesses become more pet friendly? If people could take their pets inside would help. My wife was asked to leave the Prince George airport because she refused to leave the dog in the car.
Exactly NMG, easy to break a window to save a pet..
and after you break the window–
You Must leave a Note with your Name and Phone Number as you have damaged
the vehicle.
Why do people feel they need to take the animal down town anyway! Train the dog to stay home.
I am tired of hearing about how the pet just loves to go in the vehicle so that is why they are not left at home. A lot of these animals are seen sitting on the drivers lap and distraction the driver anyway.
Oh really…You are absolutely correct. Pets should be better trained to stay at home. Furthermore, pet owners should be better trained to look after and protect their dogs, cats and whatever. But then you can’t fix stupid, can you!
People get carried away with their pets. Some spend most of their day walking and talking to their dog.
Its rather interesting that with all the problems in BC the Provincial Government is working on dog legislation. Hmmmmm. One could say that this Government as gone to the dogs.
The Liberal Government is so blind when it comes to actually Governing in a responsible manner, they should have a seeing eye dog to take them to responsibility training.
Why take your pet to the airport then?
Big deal if my dog is on my lap while driving.
It’s the drivers out there that are changing cds, eating burgers, doing make up, etc…that’s worse…but you are complaining about a dog on a lap.
Get over yourself!
I sure hope you don’t have an airbag if you’re driving around with a dog on your lap. Any accident that’s enough to deploy it will absolutely crush your beloved pet, never mind what it might do to you. Even if you can’t see how dangerous it is for the general public, surely you can recognize the risks to your pet?
mayday, not wishing to be harsh, but just how stupid are you?
If you love your dog (and most pet owners are passionate about their pets) the very last place your dog should be is on your lap while you are driving a car!
Not only is this irresponsible behaviour a danger to you, it is a danger to everyone else that shares the roads with you! Most of all, it is an EXTREME danger to your dog!! Even a small fender bender may be enough to set off your airbag. Do you have any idea how much force is released in an airbag explosion. Suffice it to say that your dog would be TOAST in the event that your airbag went off!
By the way, I’m not excusing actions such as changing cds, eating burgers, or doing one’s makeup, but none of these actions squirm around on the driver’s lap and none have the potential to go nuts on your lap if they happen to see another dog or a cat!
Guess it’s true what they say…you just can’t fix stupid!
Pet owners should look after their pets and be responsible at all times. The government have their noses stuffed too much into our buisness as it is.
Dog on the lap of course worse.. You don’t have complete control of your dog. It could get scared, sick, slip, etc and instantly you stop driving and start taking care of your dog.. I would guess it’s worse than someone on a cell phone. Once you put your cell down its done with..a dog is never..
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