How to help pets adjust to time change when clocks fall back 1 hour this weekend
B.C. government said 5 years ago it would end time changes in B.C.
It's that time of year again.
At 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, the clocks will fall back one hour, giving British Columbians an extra hour of sleep.
This, despite five years of government promises that the province would eventually end time changes and stick with daylight time.
While the health effects of the semi-annual time change on humans have been well documented, Kim Monteith, manager of behaviour and welfare for the B.C. SPCA says it can be troublesome for pets, too.
"They can be really sensitive, and that little bit of change can put them out of sorts," she said. They can become more vocal, pacing, panting or demanding attention if they're confused about the change in routine.
Monteith's dog, a three-year-old Prague ratter named Itsy, digs at things when she's unsure about a new schedule.
Leading up to a time change, whether in the fall or spring, she said pet owners should slowly adjust feeding and play times — for example, feeding them 10 minutes later each day in the week leading up to the fall-back time change.
Taking them outside more often helps them adapt their internal clock, she added.
On Sunday morning, when your pets wake you up early demanding a walk or breakfast, Monteith said pet owners should try to hold off. If dogs are asking to go outside for a "potty break," she said, you should let them out but start working on altering their schedule.
"You don't want to stress out your animal," she said.
When will B.C. stop changing the time?
In 2019, more than 223,000 British Columbians voted on whether or not to stop switching clocks. A whopping 93 per cent of participants voted in favour of a move to permanent daylight time.
Former premier John Horgan said in 2019 that B.C. would end the twice-yearly time changes but didn't give a firm timeline. However, both he and current Premier David Eby have said legislation won't be enacted until B.C.'s American neighbours — including Washington state, Oregon and California — do the same.
The Sunshine Protection Act was passed by the U.S. Senate in 2022, but it still hasn't passed in the House of Representatives, which has the final say.
It was reintroduced to the House in March 2023 but hasn't been proposed again this year. There's been no real movement since 2023, making B.C.'s timeline for permanent daylight time more than a little uncertain.
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