ST. CATHARINES, Ont. -- The public is still not heeding warnings about leaving dogs alone in vehicles in the sweltering heat, says an Ontario SPCA spokesman.
"We're still getting a call a day," said Kevin Strooband, an SPCA inspector. "I'm perplexed."
Strooband said he responded to a call Tuesday about a dog left in a car parked outside a Wal-Mart in St. Catharines, Ont.
Two women were each given a $180 fine for leaving a dog without proper ventilation in a vehicle, he said.
Strooband said the women, in their early twenties, had left the parking lot before he arrived so police used the license plate to go to a home address.
" 1/8The women 3/8 said they came out and there was pretty much a mob around the vehicle," he said, adding the dog must have been in a high degree of stress for a bystander to call the police.
A Wal-Mart customer had called 911 and another separate call had been placed to the SPCA, he said.
The dog, a dachshund, was unharmed.
Southern Ontario is in the midst of a sizzling week with temperatures expected to peak at around 30 C with humidex values at 40 C. Environment Canada is predicting the heat wave will not break until Friday.
Strooband said despite more awareness about leaving pets alone in the heat due to media reports and signs in stores, the number of cases this summer hasn't gone down compared with previous years.
He responded to a call Monday night in St. Catharines that required him to break the window of a black SUV in order to rescue a fox terrier.
The dog had been left in a hospital parking lot and was in distress, he said.
"I've worked in this business for 23 years and never had to break a window," Strooband said. "It took me one second to make that decision."
The animal rights group PETA lists excessive thirst, thick saliva, heavy panting, lethargy, rapid heartbeat and vomiting as among the symptoms of a dog in distress in a hot car.
People are advised to seek help for their pets immediately if they notice these symptoms.
