(COUNTY OF WELLINGTON, ON) - Wellington County OPP would like pet owners to be aware of the dangers of leaving your beloved pet in your car or confined area.
With rising temperatures, an animal's ability to overcome the heat is limited and may prove fatal. OPP receive numerous complaints each year about pets being left unattended in cars. While some owners require reprimand, many have taken the time to look out for their animal and the occurrence is cleared as a non-dangerous event. This is costly to the tax basin as emergency service such as police and/or firefighters are often dispatched to assist.
While it is never recommended to leave a pet unsupervised, sometimes it's unavoidable. For these events OPP would hope owners take the extra step of speaking for their pets. Let others know that you are a caring pet owner, and while temporarily absent from your pet, you can still be reached. By placing a notice in your window or similar, indicate how you can be reached immediately. This would allow a passerby who is concerned for your pet, to reach out to you directly rather than taking it upon themselves to extricate your pet or task emergency services.
Proper pet care can be subjective and nothing is without risk. A car's air-conditioner can fail, a water dish can get turned over and the unexpected could seriously harm your pet. Please take the time to have a backup plan and remember that your pet is safest when it's under your direct supervision and monitoring.