What steps to take when you see a dog in a car on a hot day

With summer temperatures breaking a record in Charlottetown Wednesday, and an Island-wide heat wave this week, concerns over dogs being left in vehicles are top of mind for many Islanders.

Before you jump into action, the P.E.I. Humane Society and police say there are some crucial steps to take. 

Charlottetown police say in July they answered 11 calls for dogs in hot cars.

The P.E.I. Humane Society says so far this summer, reports have been on par with other years, but with the recent heat wave animal protection officers have seen a slight increase. Staff said Monday one officer took four calls in about 10 minutes. 

Enforcement officials say first, you need to know the signs of when a dog is in distress — as not all dogs in cars are too hot. 

"Panting, drooling anything that's going to make you think that the dog doesn't look comfortable in the vehicle is just your first warning signs," said Chayleigh Arsenault, an animal protection officer with the P.E.I. Humane Society. 

Call law enforcement first 

Arsenault said the next step is either to call the humane society or your local police department. The two organizations work together to see who can better get to the scene quickly.

Before you do that, it is important to take down the licence plate and make or model of the vehicle, in case law enforcement needs to follow up. Dispatchers will also ask you questions about the animal to determine how dire the situation is.

While waiting, Arsenault said going into nearby businesses and having the licence plate paged is a good idea.

It's also important to stay at the scene once you have made the call. 

"Just to monitor that situation and if it's suddenly going downhill or there's something worse that's going on to call us and update us," said Arsenault.

She said it's also important to let officers know if the situation improves, for example if the owner returns. That would allow officers to attend to other emergencies if needed. 

Should I go further?

There are no laws on P.E.I. against keeping your dog in the car, but a person could be charged for causing unnecessary harm and suffering, depending on factors such as the length of time and the severity of the distress the animal was in. 

If the owner of the vehicle returns, there is nothing to keep them at the scene unless ordered by police or an animal protection officer. 

When it comes to resorting to further action, like breaking a window, the humane society and police said not to do it. 

"Now they're held accountable for breaking that window," said Cst. Ron Kennedy with Charlottetown Police Services, adding the owner of the vehicle could press charges for that action.

"Especially if you're looking at in the city where we can respond within minutes to a situation like that, just waiting those few extra minutes for us to get there, and if the officer then makes the decision to break the window that's a different matter. But then that's on us."

Arsenault agreed and said if the dispatcher instructs you to intervene further that would be the time to do so, but not to make that decision on your own. 

Kennedy said he isn't aware of any cases where someone has been charged with breaking a window in these situations, but police have called tow truck companies to open cars and have dogs removed. Those dogs were then taken to the humane society.

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