Dogs left inside cars in the hot weather remains a problem, according to Nanaimo Animal Control Services and the SPCA.
It’s been two years since the City of Nanaimo turned up the heat on dog owners who leave pets in hot cars. Animal control officers now have the ability to levy $500 fines for canines found in vehicles during hot weather and another $200 if dogs have to be rescued and impounded.
It’s a rule advocates like the Nanaimo SPCA called for three years ago, pointing out that dogs continue to be left in cars despite education campaigns. It can take as little as 10 minutes for a vehicle to reach temperatures where the animal can suffer brain damage or death, according to a recent B.C. SPCA press release.
So far one fine has been given out this year and 15 warnings. A total 40 complaints were called in to Nanaimo Animal Control Services as of the first week of July.
Carley Colclough, pound coordinator for Nanaimo Animal Control, said not everyone who leaves a dog in the car gets fined. It’s for more serious situations when a dog has been left long enough that it’s become a danger to it. She said they do give a lot of warnings to people who run into a business and haven’t left their dog in the car long enough for it to become in distress, but want to emphasize how quickly distress can happen.
As for the bylaw, Colclough says it’s important there’s something for animal control to respond to, because otherwise people rely on SPCA which are “fantastic” but have one animal protection officer for the Nanaimo area and aren’t able to respond to complaints that need immediate response all the time. By being able to attend quickly, she said it prevents the situation escalating with concerned citizens versus dog owners.
Despite the new rules, however, Colclough and Leon Davis, Nanaimo SPCA branch manager still consider dogs left in hot cars as a problem.
“We are prepared to be busy on any hot day attending these calls,” Colclough said, encouraging people to think ahead, leave their dog at home, or have one person stay with the dog and take it out of the car to avoid the situation completely. “It’s still happening frequently.”
Davis said since animal control stepped in and the city brought in the bylaw it’s been a “huge relief” on volunteer and staff resources. The SPCA used to get three to five calls a day and is now getting a few a week. But he also says the numbers reported by animal control are close to what would have been reported this time by the SPCA.
“That’s the weird thing is the message does not get out,” he said.
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