Following an early summer heat wave that ripped through southern Ontario, the City of London is considering a new fine for people who leave their pets in hot vehicles.
Staff recommended amending three bylaws to implement a $300 fine when it is determined that an animal in a vehicle is under distress due to the temperature, according to a report to London’s Community and Protective Services committee.
London is not the first city to propose such a fine. Other municipalities issue fines for failure to comply with animal welfare bylaws.
City staff said it chose $300 as the penalty amount as it aligns with other municipalities. Brampton and Chatham-Kent both have $300 fines, while fines in Markham, Oshawa and Vaughan range from $150 to $1,000.
Orillia holds a much higher penalty for owners, especially when offences occur more than once. In 2022, the city hiked the maximum penalty for a first offence from $5,000 to $25,000, with a maximum fine of $50,000 for a second offence.
City staff in Orillia stated at the time that upping the fine was necessary to provide “both a specific and general deterrent in those cases where a significant breach of the chapter has occurred, such as where an animal has been seriously harmed or died as a result of being left in a vehicle on a hot day.”
Other municipalities rely solely on provincial laws that govern the welfare of animals. Major cities like Toronto, Peterborough, Kingston and Ottawa do not have their own bylaws that carry a fine for an animal in distress under such circumstances.
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The Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act came into effect in Ontario in 2020. Under it, causing or permitting distress to an animal is punishable with a fine of up to $75,000 and up to two years in jail.
London police told Global News that city bylaw offences can be enforced by municipal bylaw officers and do not require the involvement of police or Animal Welfare Services. However, under PAWS, only police, First Nations constables and animal welfare inspectors are allowed to enter a vehicle to help an animal in distress.
When police do get involved, a spokesperson said “officers and animal welfare inspectors may collaborate in determining the most appropriate course of action based on the circumstances.”
City of London staff said the $300 municipal fine is a compliance-promoting measure rather than a punitive one.
“The proposed by-law amendments are intended to provide an additional compliance tool as well as to act as a deterrent,” staff stated.
“The administrative monetary penalty would apply to owners of animals or dogs left unattended in vehicles, where an officer determines on reasonable grounds that an animal or dog is in distress due to temperature in the vehicle.”
The proposal, which has not yet been approved, will go before the London Community and Protective Services Committee May 25.
The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society encourages all municipalities to enact similar bylaws as an additional measure to deter owners from leaving their pets in vehicles, Jennifer Bluhm, vice-president of community outreach services, told Global News.
“By adopting and promoting a No Hot Pets bylaw, municipalities send a clear message that animal welfare is a priority in their community,” she said.
The Toronto and Ottawa humane societies added that municipal measures can help owners understand the seriousness of leaving a pet in a vehicle unattended.
“Our goal is to focus on education and awareness so that pet owners in the community are aware of the dangers hot cars pose to their pet and who to call if they see an animal in distress,” Stephen Smith, a spokesperson for the Ottawa Humane Society told Global News.
Similarly, a spokesperson for the Toronto Humane Society said “public awareness remains critically important, as many people still underestimate how quickly conditions inside a parked vehicle can become dangerous.”
The OSPCA says it does not have data on the number of calls per year for pets in vehicles as calls go to PAWS or local police.
Global News reached out to PAWS but did not receive a response in time for publication.
The OPP has previously stated that it responds to hundreds of calls every summer reporting animals in distress.
“Signs of distress can occur immediately and it only takes minutes for a dog to suffer serious injury or death,” Smith said. Those signs include heavy panting, rapid heart rate, lethargy, lack or coordination, weakness, unconsciousness, glazed eyes and convulsions.
“If heat stroke is suspected, prompt veterinary medical attention is vital,” Bluhm added.
Anyone who encounters a pet inside a hot car should call 911 immediately.
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