It's irresponsible and potentially deadly, but some motorists are still leaving their pets in hot cars for extended periods of time. And it happened again on Friday when Jackie Fisico noticed two panting dogs locked inside a sweltering vehicle at a parking lot in Newmarket.
With no owner in sight, Fisico called police who unlocked the doors upon arrival. The windows of the car were slightly opened, but not enough to offer the pets much relief. Luckily the dogs will be okay.
"These little guys, there's no one to fend for them. And it was hot," an upset Fisico notes.
Temperatures inside a car can soar to dangerous levels in a matter of minutes. That was evident when a three-year-old
Rottweiller named Cyrus was left brain damaged after being locked in a car recently.
The owner of the dogs in Friday 's incident wasn't charged, despite leaving the animals unattended for up to an hour.
"I have a pet, I have children and I have grandchildren and you don't leave them in the car like that," Fisico adds.
"Who doesn't think on a hot day, and we've had humid weather, who doesn't put it in their head that you just can't do that?"
If keeping your dog safe and healthy isn't reason enough not to lock them in the car, maybe the consequences are. You could face a $2,000 fine or six months in jail.