$300 fine for pets left in hot cars up for debate at London committee meeting

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Just in time for the arrival of summer weather, London city council will consider a new fine for pet owners who leave their animals exposed to dangerous temperatures while locked inside a vehicle.

A report to the Community and Protective Services (CAPS) Committee recommends updating three by-laws to implement the $300 fine for the owner of a pet where there are reasonable grounds to determine the animal is in distress due to the temperature inside an unattended vehicle.

The changes respond to a motion launched by Coun. Skylar Franke and Coun. David Ferreira last summer.

“I think people are very okay with somebody receiving a fine if they’ve left their animal in a hot car,” Franke tells CTV News. “Ultimately this is about education, and a reminder not to do it. If you do, you might face a fine.”

Other municipalities have fines, also known as Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs), ranging between $150 and $500.

The $300 amount is recommended by city staff because its the most common amount for first offences in other communities.

Last August, the Humane Society London and Middlesex sent a letter of support, “Each summer, we are confronted with heartbreaking reminders that even a few short minutes inside a parked car in the heat can be fatal to an animal.”

Provincial legislation does not permit members of the public to break the window of a vehicle, and doing so could result in a mischief charge.

Staff Sgt. Tia Sutherland says London Police respond every summer to calls about pets locked in hot vehicles.

“That is a valid reason to call 9-1-1,” Sutherland explains. “Police (officers) have the ability to respond, and if need be, we can break that window. There are also animal welfare inspectors across the province that can respond.”

Some modern vehicles, including Teslas, can have special settings to keep pets safe while unattended, so Sutherland describes some of the symptoms that indicate an animal is in danger, “Signs of distress (include) a dog barking and then (stopping), if it seems to be panting excessively, maybe drooling, or its eyes are glazed over.”

The 911 dispatcher will ask for the location, colour, license plate, and other descriptions of the unattended vehicle where a pet is in distress.

Staff Sgt. Sutherland says there is already the potential to lay criminal charges, so the proposed municipal fine would serve as an additional compliance tool.

According to city staff, the officer who determines that an animal was in distress can provide the information collected during the investigation to London Animal Shelter Services (LASS) staff who can then issue a fine for the violation.

Franke argues the fine would also recover some of the municipal costs for dispatching police to save an animal, “We want to be able to recover that cost, and I think we want to make sure that our animals are as safe as possible.”

Councillors on the CAPS Committee will consider establishing the $300 fine by amending the Dog Licensing and Control By-law, the Animal Control By-law, and the Administrative Monetary Penalty System bylaw on May 25.