This is an editorial I wrote last semester. With summer (and the heat it brings) coming up faster than we all realize, I figured this is a good thing to keep in mind.

Editorial

Heath stroke, brain damage, and death are some of the symptoms that your pet can face when left in a car on a hot day. A CBC article from 2015, says leaving a pet in a car alone on a hot day rarely results in a fine, but it should always result in a fine of $1000.

Every year pet owners make this mistake and every year animals die as a result.  The Winnipeg Humane Society says that on a 26-degree Celsius day, temperatures inside a car with its windows open can reach up to 48 degrees Celsius. PETA’s website says when temperatures reach only 30 degrees’, asphalt and car upholstery can burn your pet’s paws. This is hurting the animal, and pet owners should be fined $1000.

If you see an animal in distress, alert the management of the businesses closest to the car, or call the Winnipeg Humane Society emergency line at 204-982-2020. You can also visit nohotpets.ca to pledge to keep your pet out of the car on hot days. Your animals can’t understand your excuses and I don’t want to hear them. I’m Haley Hayward and I think leaving your pet in your car unattended is unacceptable.