You wouldn't leave a baby alone in a parked car, so what's different about a pet?
As temperatures warm, advocacy groups, business owners and concerned citizens alike are reminding pet owners of the dangers posed by leaving their companions in vehicles unattended.
At a seasonably warm day in the low 20s, we might not think it's that hot. But the inside of a car can heat up quickly to 30-degree range and soon become unbearable.
Even in mild weather, with the windows cracked and a bowl of water present, a dog can die within minutes trapped inside a car.
As part of its No Hot Pets Campaign, the OSPCA recommends leaving pets at home, if bringing them along means they'll be left unattended in car.
"Never take the pet with you unless someone can stay with it," OSPCA officer Brad Dewar told CTV.
"The reality is that whether the windows are open or closed, the internal temperature of that vehicle will be much greater than outside," he said.
Studies show that even when a car is parked in the shade with four windows cracked, the temperature inside the vehicle can exceed the temperature outside by 10 degrees in under an hour.
Even with public awareness on the rise, police and the OSPCA still respond to dozens of calls for animals left in hot cars every year.
Toronto Animal Services has already received five calls this season, and according to a press release from the Ottawa Humane Society, a Gatineau man was the first to be charged this year for leaving his Chihuahua in a hot car while he went to play bingo.
Businesses and shopping centres across Canada have taken steps to remind pet owners that leaving their furry friends behind in cars can be deadly.
The Vaughan Mills Shopping Centre implemented a pet patrol service in 2012. When temperatures get to 30 degrees Celsius and above, security guards stand at every parking lot entrance to check cars for pets and remind owners not to leave them alone inside while they shop.
When it's not in the 30-degree range, security still patrols the parking lot, keeping an eye out for distressed animals.
"Hot or cold, we check regularly throughout the year," a spokesperson from the shopping centre said.
Canada's Wonderland, also in Vaughan, has a service where pets can be kept inside a kennel in a cool area for a small fee.
Owners are responsible for providing the pet with food and water
Although awareness campaigns continue to grow year after year, pets are still left in hot cars, sometimes resulting in criminal charges.
A dog walker in B.C. could face up to 18 months in prison for animal cruelty after six dogs allegedly died of heat stroke in the back of her truck. The windows were cracked open and the dogs had access to water, but all six succumbed in a matter of minutes.
The incident is just another example that projects like the OSPCA's No Hot Pets campaign are still relevant year after year.
"Police services are still getting calls for animals being left unattended and unfortunately each and every year we're addressing situations where the animal has died as a result," said Dewar.
