Officer rescues dog from hot car

A concerned citizen called police after spotting a dog inside a truck in a parking lot on Carling Avenue this past Tuesday afternoon. At the time, the outdoor temperature was 32 degrees Celsius with a humidex of 38 degrees Celsius.

Cst. Lisa Beaucage, an officer with OPS for three years, attended. “The dog was in distress. She was lying on the floor under the passenger seat foot well, panting.”

One window was open about three inches and she noticed an empty water dish.

Cst. Beaucage was able to get her arm in the opening and unlock the door. The dog immediately ran out of the truck and splayed out on the grass. The officer loaded the dog into her cruiser with the air conditioning running to cool her off. 

The complainant first noticed the dog at 1:45pm. She started a stop watch and waited to see if the owner would return. After 13 minutes, she was concerned for the dog’s safety so she called police.

Twenty minutes later, the owner could still not be located and the dog was still showing signs of distress, so Cst. Beaucage contacted Dispatch and arrangements were made for the dog to get medical attention at a local Animal hospital.

The dog is recovering and Animal Welfare Service is caring for the dog and investigating the incident.

Ottawa Police Service is reminding dog owners that the inside of a vehicle gets much hotter than the temperature outside. Even a few minutes in a hot car puts a dog at risk. Play it safe. Don’t leave your pet in the vehicle for any length of time.

For more tips, go to: https://ottawahumane.ca/your-pet/animal-tips/dogs-die-in-hot-cars/