Woodstock Police are reminding pet owners a hot car is no place for a dog.
WOODSTOCK - Woodstock Police were called out to two calls for pets being left in hot cars over the weekend.
In both cases the pets were left inside while their owner was grocery shopping. Constable Nikki VanLeeuwen tells Heart FM in one case the dog seemed to be in rough shape when police arrived. "The windows were rolled up and the dog appeared to be in a bit of distress, they were panting heavily. I think people just don't realize what can actually happen to your pet and how hot the internal temperature of a car is and the internal temperature of the dog itself."
VanLeeuwen says the temperature inside a car can be 40 degrees hotter and can be devastating for pets and children. A dog can experience liver failure or even suffer a heart attack when they are left inside a hot vehicle.
She says if you spot a dog or child in distress to call 911 immediately and stay with the car until help has arrived. VanLeeuwen did say in some extreme cases it is ok to break the window, however she encourages people to use common sense. "Call 911 first, if the animal or child looks like they are in the kind of distress where your common sense and your gut instinct is telling you that you need to get that child or that dog out, then you are going to be supported by us to break the window and get assistance for that person or that animal.

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