Annapolis District RCMP has charged a woman who left two dogs in a vehicle for a number of hours while golfing.

At approximately 3:20 p.m. on September 18, police responded to a complaint of dogs having been left in a car for over two hours at a golf course on Hwy. 201 in West Paradise. Police attended and noted the temperature outside at the time be 27 degrees and that there were two dogs in the vehicle. Police learned that the dogs had been left in the vehicle since 11 a.m.

Police located the owner of the vehicle and issued her a Summary Offence Ticket for Causing an Animal to be in Distress under the Animal Protection Act. The ticket carries a fine of $697.50.

On a warm day, even with the windows open, a parked vehicle quickly becomes like a furnace and creates potentially fatal conditions for pets left inside. When the temperatures start to climb, we encourage pet owners to not leave their pets unattended in vehicles, even for a few minutes.

Here are things to do if you come across an animal in a vehicle that appears to be in distress:

• Look for the owner of the car. Go to nearby stores and have the owner paged.
• If you cannot locate the owner, call your local police and stay at the vehicle until police arrive. Do not contact police unless the animal is obviously distressed.
• If you are unsure if an animal is in distress, call the Nova Scotia SPCA at 1-888-703-7722.
• Follow up by filing a report with the Nova Scotia SPCA either online or by phone, and be sure to note the vehicle’s licence plate number.

Source: Release