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Police respond after dog left in vehicle at the movies

West Shore RCMP determined the animal was not in distress
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RCMP assessed the golden lab in the car at the Cineplex Odeon as not in danger. (iStock photo)

The West Shore RCMP responded to a report Tuesday evening of a dog in distress inside a vehicle parked at the Cineplex Odeon Westshore Cinemas.

The assistant manager at the movie theatre called police after a customer told staff she had left her dog in the vehicle and if anyone complained to let her know.

The assistant manager said she went out to check on the dog and from what she could tell the golden lab looked like it was trying to hide in a cool corner in the bed of the truck. She said the car was parked in the shade and the canopy on the truck was open, so there was airflow. A dog person herself, she said when she saw the dog panting and vomit a little bit of grass, she felt uneasy about leaving it without a second opinion.

“I didn’t want her to lose her dog, I was just worried about her dog,” the assistant manager said. “My main concern is if someone leaves their dog in the car while watching a movie, where else would they leave it.”

She also brought the dog water in one of the Odeon’s poutine cups and said the dog drank it immediately so she had to refill it.

West Shore RCMP Const. Matt Baker confirmed there was water in the truck and a breeze to help keep the dog cool. After an assessment, police determined the dog was in good condition and no further action was required.

Baker noted that after approximately 30 minutes the temperature can double inside a car if all the windows are up, and not to leave animals in cars during hot weather.

The Malahat area set a new heat record Tuesday with 29.6 degrees eclipsing the old record of 29.1 degrees that was set in 1995.

In a statement release after the incident, the local detachment reminded animal owners to be mindful when leaving their pets unattended. Symptoms of an animal in distress include vigorous or heavy panting, difficulty breathing, tongue and mucous membranes will be bright red in colour, thickened sticky saliva, vomiting may occur, lying down and unwilling to get up, dizziness or disorientation, collapse and loss of consciousness.

The RCMP asked residents to contact CRD Animal Control by calling 250-478-0624 or the SPCA cruelty reporting hotline at 1-855-622-7722 if they find an animal in distress.


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lindsey.horsting@goldstreamgazette.com