Parker the dog made big news in Ontario, Canada yesterday when he was rescued from inside an SUV on a day when temperatures climbed into the ’90s (that’s 33C for those of you reading this in Canada).
If the video doesn’t load for you, click here to see it on The Star’s VideoZone.
Shortly before noon, a concerned shopper saw Parker in the back seat of an SUV parked at a shopping plaza. The shopper left a note on the windshield, chiding the owners for leaving their dog in the car on such a hot day. Twenty minutes later, the concerned shopper returned to her car, and found that Parker had not yet been attended to, so she called the police. Soon, another shopper called in, saying the dog looked dehydrated.
When the police arrived, they checked the meter to see how long the car had been parked – 2.5 hours! (But, to be fair, we don’t know that the dog was inside the whole time.) Police were able to get the back door of the SUV open, and they clipped a leash onto Parker’s collar. Here’s where the “fun” began.
Seems Parker was so relieved to be out of the car, he slipped his collar and ran! He went up an off-ramp and onto a major expressway (the Gardiner, for those of you familiar with Toronto). Police gave chase, and alert drivers on the freeway slowed to a stop. After about 10 minutes, Parker got tired, and lay down in the shade of a stopped van, where he was again captured and taken to Toronto Animal Services.
They were unable to give him a full exam because he was so scared he became aggressive. He was returned to the owners, but charges could be filed. Under local law, he could be given a ticket or could face criminal charges from the province of Ontario. The police tracked down the dog’s “family” when they returned to the car an hour later (nearly 4 hours since it had been parked!!) You can see their reaction on the above video.
Of note: Toronto police report that they have received more than 150 complaints in the past WEEK about animals in hot vehicles. They dispatched crews to over 60 of them, where the animals were in enough distress to warrant it. Does that disturb anyone besides me???
Freaking unbelievable!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!