NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA REGIONAL POLICE
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On Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at approximately 2:40 p.m., 2 District (Niagara Falls), uniform patrol officers, attended a parking lot in the area of Dorchester Road and Morrison Street in the City of Niagara Falls.
Initial investigation revealed that an English Bulldog had been left in a vehicle unattended for approximately 45 minutes and appeared to be in distress due to the heat. The driver’s side door and rear cab windows were open about three to four inches.
Due to the hot weather conditions at the time (32 degrees), and appearance of the dog, officers removed the dog from the vehicle through an unlocked door. The dog was given water by the officers and was brought into an air conditioned police cruiser to cool down.
The dog, recovered quickly, and appeared to be in good health.
The owner of the dog returned to the scene and was met by officers.
A 62-year-old man from St. Catharines was charged with:
• Undue suffering to an animal, in contravention of 2019-35 Niagara Falls Bylaw, Section 4.8
It doesn’t take long to put your pet in a harmful situation when left in a vehicle on a warm or hot day.
Below are common concerns and tips to advocate for pet safety:
• Harmful and even life-threatening effects can occur in a short time in a hot car. Dogs can’t release heat by sweating, as humans do, so their internal body temperature rises more quickly.
• Some dogs, including senior pets and those with flatter faces, experience even more challenges in hot weather.
• It’s best to simply leave your dog at home where there’s more space, water and shade.
• You may have seen the sign on a vehicle saying, “the A/C is on.” Some may think this is an option, but it is not a good one. Your pet can still end up at risk if the air conditioning stops working, it’s not a guaranteed solution.
If you see an animal in distress in a parked vehicle, follow these steps:
• Note the license plate, vehicle colour, make and model.
• Ask managers of nearby businesses to page the owner to return to their vehicle immediately.
• If the animal is not showing signs of distress, but you are concerned, you may wish to stay by the vehicle to monitor the situation until the owner returns.
• If the animal is showing clear signs of heat related distress, call 911.
• While choosing to break a glass window to get an animal out of a hot vehicle may be an option, we ask that this not be the first step people take to assist the animal. The Niagara Regional Police and SPCA Special Constables have the authority to enter a vehicle lawfully to help a pet in distress. Not only are you putting yourself at risk of injury or potential legal issues when you break a glass window, but you also risk harming the animal.
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