“The public is reminded to not leave your pet in a vehicle on a warm or hot day,” said Coquitlam bylaw services senior manager Sarah Bird, who noted that doing so can result in a $500 fine.
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A woman in Coquitlam was fined $500 this week after leaving two dogs inside her parked vehicle while she visited a nearby business.
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The Coquitlam RCMP and Coquitlam bylaw services confirmed to Postmedia they were called after a bystander spotted what appeared to be two dogs inside a parked car just after noon on Wednesday at Sunwood Square, a shopping centre in the 3000 block of Lougheed Highway.
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Police and bylaw officers said the driver was nowhere in sight.
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“While assessing the situation, the owner of the dogs returned to her vehicle and was issued a bylaw ticket,” the statement read. It’s unclear how long the dogs had been left in the vehicle or where the driver had gone while the car was parked.
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Temperatures reached a high of 25 on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Canada Safety Council, temperatures inside a car can climb 20 degrees higher than outside temperature in as little as 20 minutes.
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“The public is reminded to not leave your pet in a vehicle on a warm or hot day,” said Coquitlam bylaw services senior manager Sarah Bird.
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“Even parked in the shade or with windows open, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach dangerous levels in a short period of time.”
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A public post was also shared to a Tricities Facebook group by an anonymous bystander Wednesday around 1:30 p.m., detailing what appears to be the same incident confirmed by Coquitlam RCMP.
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The post included a photo of a white Hyundai being inspected by bylaw officers while parked in front of the White Spot at Sunwood Square.
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“Today, I observed two large breed senior dogs in a hot car for over an hour,” the individual wrote. “I called the SPCA, police, RCMP, and then bylaw.”
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The anonymous individual then went on to say bylaw officers arrived within five minutes, with police following shortly after. The post also suggests the driver had been enjoying a meal at a nearby Cora’s before returning to the car.
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“This lady should consider herself lucky that her windows weren’t smashed and her dogs weren’t apprehended,” the post concluded.
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In 2024, the most recent year for which data was available, the B.C. SPCA’s animal help line received 841 reports about animals found in hot cars.
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What should I do if I spot a dog in a hot car?
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If you spot an animal inside a parked car on a hot day, the B.C. SPCA recommends you make a note of the licence plate and vehicle description and contact the nearest business to have the animal’s owner paged immediately.
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If the animal appears to be in distress, contact the local animal control agency, police or RCMP, or the B.C. SPCA animal help line at 1-855-622-7722 immediately. Be sure to provide the exact location of the vehicle, as well as a description of the vehicle and the dog.
