HALIFAX -- A woman has been charged after police say she left two dogs inside her car in Summerside, P.E.I., on a hot day.
Summerside Police Services received a report before 5:15 p.m. Friday that two dogs had been left inside a vehicle and appeared to be in distress.
Police say temperatures rose into the 30s in Summerside on Friday.
Police responded to the parking lot on Granville Street and found the dogs’ owner.
The 39-year-old Summerside woman was charged under the Animal Welfare Act and fined $500.
Police are reminding pet owners not to leave animals unattended in vehicles on warm days.
“Warm temperatures outside translate into even warmer temperatures inside of a vehicle and animals can become distressed even after [a] very short period of time,” said Summerside Police Services in a news release on Monday.
The PEI Humane Society also addressed the issue in a Facebook post about summer pet safety last week, urging pet owners to leave their animals at home, rather than in a hot vehicle.
The organization warned that a pet can suffer irreparable brain damage, or even death, after only 10 minutes in a hot car.
“Dogs have a limited ability to sweat; even a short time in a hot environment can be life-threatening,” said the PEI Humane Society in the post. “A dog’s normal body temperature is about 39°C, a temperature of 41°C can be withstood only for a very short time before irreparable brain damage or even death can occur.”
