A Hamilton K9 Officer was able to come to the assistance of another dog on Saturday after the owner left their dog unattended in a hot car. The owner is now facing charges under the OSPCA Act.

Police attended a parking lot at 869 Barton Street East shortly after 12:30 p.m., and noticed a large dog inside a car panting heavily and showing signs of distress.

A Hamilton Police K9 Officer started to feed water to the dog through a cracked 4” window opening. The owner returned from the store and found the officer tending to their dog.

Temperatures were rising past the 30 degree Celsius range on Saturday, September 1, 2018, when Police received a call from a concerned person about the dog left inside a locked car for an extended period of time.

Parked cars can quickly reach deadly temperatures, even with the car parked in the shade and the windows open. Dogs have a limited ability to sweat, so even a short time in a hot environment can be life-threatening.

The owner was charged and released with a part III summons under the OSPCA Act, Permit an Animal to be in Distress.

Hamilton Police would like to stress to our community the importance of being a responsible pet owner. Please leave your pets at home on hot days where they are cool and safe.