Hot, parked cars can kill dogs: St. John's vet
Following an incident Thursday where police smashed a car window to rescue a dog locked inside, a St. John's vet continues to remind people about the dangers of leaving pets in vehicles on hot days.
The dog had been inside a parked car on the Costco lot for about an hour.
Veterinarian Margaret Brown-Bury said when the mercury rises, it's important to keep pets out of the heat.
Brown-Bury said such scenarios can lead to seizures, kidney failure and death.
"Very susceptible to heat stroke ... they are wearing a fur coat. Even if it's windy and you have the windows cracked, it very quickly becomes a lot hotter inside the car than outside the car," said Brown-Bury.
"I've seen dogs having seizures because of heat stroke.The other big thing that can happen is kidney failure," she said.
Brown-Bury said dogs can die inside a vehicle on a hot day.
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary held a news conference on Thursday, following the incident.
Cst. Nadia Churchill said the temperature inside the car was about 45 C.
"The animal had been left inside the vehicle for over an hour, and given the sunshine we've had, there was concern for the animal and it did appear to be in distress," said Churchill.
Churchill said the RNC is still investigating, and it's not known if the owner of the dog will be charged.
