Pet owners are reminded to be vigilant when it comes to animals in a vehicle.
On Monday a Williams Lake resident saw a very hot boarder collie/pit cross dog panting in the front seat of a car parked outside of a local grocery store.
She waited 10 minutes for the owner to show up.
When the owner and a friend arrived at the car, and the woman challenged them on leaving the dog in the heat, she was brushed off and basically told the dog was just fine and that the owner knew what she was doing.
The resident said the dog owner’s reaction made her blood boil.
She’s not alone.
The Humane Society says pets should not be left in a parked car for a minute, not even with the car running and air conditioner on.
On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels.
For example, when it’s 29 C the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 38 C within 10 minutes.
After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 48 C.
“Pets may suffer irreversible organ damage or die,” the Humane Society warns.