Caught on camera: Confrontation with man who left dog in hot car

Footage of two Bosley's Pet Food Plus employees arguing with a man who left a dog in a hot car in Vancouver has gone viral online. Jule 28, 2015. (Facebook)

Video of a tense confrontation between two Vancouver pet store workers and a man who left his dog in a hot car has gone viral online, racking up more than 100,000 views in a matter of hours.

Jennifer Thi said a concerned bystander walked in the Bosley’s Pet Food Plus where she works on Monday to report there was a French bulldog in distress in the parking lot.

“Upon looking at the dog, I could tell it was overheating,” Thi said in a Facebook post. “The windows in the car were opened half an inch and the dog was panting heavily, drooling, and was trying to be as close to the crack of fresh air as possible.”

Thi said the bystander had already gone into a neighbouring 7-Eleven and a hair salon searching for the dog’s owner, but couldn’t find him.

Concerned about the animal’s safety, Thi said she decided to try opening one of the car doors. When it turned out to be unlocked, she decided to bring the dog into her store and wait for the owner to pick it up.

That’s when the owner identified himself. After the employees told him he shouldn’t have left his dog in the car, an angry outburst ensued, part of which was captured on video.

“I was gone for five f---ing minutes,” the man can be seen yelling in the footage, which Thi shared on social media. “I left to grab a f---ing sandwich, I come out here and sit for five minutes. You think you’re f---ing doing a good job, huh? You think you’re cool?”

The confrontation continues even after the man gets into his car and starts to back out of the parking lot.

“Never open someone’s f---ing random door, you understand?”

Thi said she decided to share the video to raise awareness about the danger of leaving animals in hot cars.

According to the SPCA, leaving animals in cars can seriously harm or even kill them – even if the car is parked in the shade with the windows partly open.

The SPCA warns that a dog can be overwhelmed by heat in as little as 10 minutes.

Signs of heatstroke in dogs include lack of coordination, salivation, convulsions or vomiting, weakness or muscle tremors, exaggerated panting, red tongue and lips, and a rapid or erratic pulse.

Anyone who sees a dog in a hot car that might be in trouble is encouraged to record the vehicle’s information and ask nearby stores to page customers.

If the animal is in distress, witnesses can contact the SPCA cruelty hotline at 1-855-622-7722.