Posted:
On November 23 shortly after 8 a.m., police were called to a parking lot in the 2000 block of Gottingen Street for two dogs in a parked car that were believed to be in distress. Officers found that the two dogs had been left outside overnight in a vehicle. The temperature when the officers arrived was -22 degrees Celsius with the windchill. Halifax Animal Services were called to take the dogs to a local shelter.
The dog’s owner, a 48-year-old-Yarmouth man, was issued two summary offence tickets, one for causing an animal to be in distress and the other for failing to protect an animal from the cold. The man is scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial court at a later date.
Police remind citizens that if you see animal in distress call 911 and take direction from the call taker.
Below are some tips to help keep Fluffy and Fido safe this cold weather season:
- Never leave your pet in a cold car. It can hold in the cold just like a refrigerator.
- Keep your pets indoor, during the day and night. Cold temperatures can still harm your pets even though they have fur.
- If you leave your dog outside, give them a draft-free shelter large enough to stand and turn around in, but small enough to retain body heat. Use something to protect them against the cold like a layer of straw or a blanket. Turn the entrance away from wind and snow.
- Stay with your pets when taking them out for a bathroom break; if it’s too cold for you, it is too cold for them and you should head inside.
GO #18-181194