RCMP suggestions for responding to pets left in hot vehicles

With temperatures on Saturday expected to hit the mid-20s in Nova Scotia, the issue of animals left in vehicles is once again a hot topic of conversation.

RCMP say an animal can be overwhelmed by heat in as little as 10 minutes and warn temperatures in parked cars even in the shade with partly open windows can reach a level high enough to seriously harm or even kill apet.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), animals can get brain damage or die from heat stroke in 15 minutes.

What police sayyou should do

Mounties say first try to provide shade for the animal and water if you can, then seek out the owner of the vehicle. Go to nearby businesses, if necessary, and have the owner paged.

RCMP say call them and file a report with Nova Scotia SPCA online or by calling 1-888-703-7722.

Finally, Mounties say stay with the vehicle until an officer arrives.

In recent years, many shopping malls have started pet patrol programs that scout out parking lots for animals left in vehicles.

Malls are reporting they are seeing fewer incidents of animals left in hot vehicles since the program started.