Dog owner pleads guilty to animal cruelty charges after leaving dog in hot car
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Thunder Bay, ON (June 7, 2018) – A 55-year-old man from Manitouwadge has been found guilty of animal cruelty under the Ontario SPCA Act after leaving a dog unattended in a vehicle during hot weather.
On August 11, 2017, an Ontario SPCA agent with the Thunder Bay & District Humane Society responded to a call about a dog found inside a vehicle in the west end of the city. A Shepherd-type dog was observed panting heavily on the floor of the vehicle, attempting to avoid the sun. The temperature inside the vehicle was measured at 39°C.
After the owner could not be located, the officer removed the dog from the vehicle to alleviate its distress. A veterinary examination revealed the dog’s internal body temperature was elevated. If left in the vehicle any longer, the veterinarian says the dog may have suffered brain damage or death.
Daniel Stuart of Manitouwadge pled guilty on May 25, 2018 in a Thunder Bay Provincial Offences Court of causing an animal to be in distress. The Justice of the Peace fined Stuart $200.
“There is no excuse to leave an animal in a hot vehicle for any amount of time,” says Lynn Michaud, Senior Inspector, Ontario SPCA. “Fortunately, in this case, the dog was removed from the car before it suffered serious health affects, thanks to the fast-acting public that reported the incident. There can be legal consequences if you leave an animal in a unattended vehicle, which can quickly reach deadly temperatures, even on relatively mild days with the vehicle parked in the shade and the windows slightly open.”
If you see an animal left in a vehicle, do not attempt to take the law into your own hands. Report it to the Ontario SPCA’s province-wide animal cruelty hotline at 310-SPCA (7722) or your local police, and ask surrounding businesses to make an announcement requesting the owner return to their vehicle immediately.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Melissa Kosowan
Ontario SPCA
mkosowan@ospca.on.ca
289-383-5968
Ontario SPCA and Humane Society:
Protecting animals since 1873, the Ontario SPCA is Ontario's animal welfare organization. A registered charity, the Society is comprised of close to 50 Communities.
Since 1919, when Ontario's first animal welfare legislation was proclaimed, the Ontario SPCA, with the help of its Communities, has been entrusted to maintain and enforce animal welfare legislation. The Act provides Ontario SPCA agents and inspectors with police powers to do so.
The Ontario SPCA provides leadership in animal welfare innovations, including introducing high-volume spay/neuter services to Ontario and opening the Provincial Education & Animal Centre.
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