Calgary woman faces criminal charges after dog dies in hot car

CALGARY – Police have filed charges against the owner of a dog that died after being left in a hot car on Canada Day.

Officers said they received a call about a distressed dog in a locked car with the windows rolled up.

Witnesses reportedly saw the large dog panting so heavily that the car shook.

An officer smashed a car window to rescue the animal, but it lay dead on the ground.

Investigators believe the four-year-old dog named Lucky, a cross between an Alaskan Malamute and a German Shepherd, was left in the car for more than two hours while the temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius.

The owner, a 30-year-old woman, was charged with causing harm or injury to an animal under the Criminal Code and causing suffering to an animal, which is an offence under the province’s Animal Welfare Act.

“It is unbelievable to me that we continue to receive emergency calls about animals left in hot vehicles,” Deputy Inspector Scott Neilson said in a press release Thursday.

“Lucky’s death was a preventable tragedy and I ask the people of Calgary to think of her the next time they leave a pet in their car on a warm or hot day, even for a short time.”

The Calgary Humane Society’s enforcement director said temperatures inside the vehicle can rise to dangerous levels within minutes.

“Dogs do not regulate their body temperature like humans do. They do not sweat and are therefore much more susceptible to heat-related injuries,” said Brad Nichols.

“We shouldn’t have to field hundreds of calls like this every summer.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press