If you're going for a drive, make sure your pup is riding safely inside the car with you.
OSPCA Agent Ryan Sparks with the Sarnia & District Humane Society says incidents involving pets in the beds of pickup trucks happen more frequently during the summer months.
"We see it a lot in Kent County, we see dogs in the back of vehicles. It's something that we'd really like to see a lot less of," he says.
Sparks says there's a lot of dangers that can occur.
"The dog can jump and see something on the roadway or something in the field next to it. It also is a danger for debris, especially when the dog is not in some sort of an enclosure," says Sparks. "Some debris from a semi or any kind of vehicle passing by, like a stone, can obviously be a factor."
Sparks says heat is also a big factor too.
"Inside of a vehicle that steel it kinda reflects that sun and it also really warms up very quickly. The pads of the animal's paws can really be susceptible to the heat and burn really easily," he explains.
Sparks says under the Highway Traffic Act, if a dog is loose at the back of a pickup truck, that is considered an unsecured load. He says then if something happens to the pet, you could be liable under the OSPCA Act for permitting stress to an animal.
Sparks says if you see a dog in the back of pickup truck or being transported unsafely, try to get the license number of the vehicle, the description, the make and model, and where it's travelling. This information can be called into the OSPCA.
"We're very reactive in the way that we do our enforcement because we rely on the people out there to get us this information. By the time we get out there to actually investigate the case, the injury or occurrence is already done," says Sparks. "We try to follow up with what we have as orders and at that point, we go from there and make sure that the owner is doing everything they can to make sure the animal is comfortable after that."
Sparks gives residents a key tip to keep their pets safe:
"The best thing you can do is put your dog is some sort of kennel, which is secured to the floor of the vehicle. This prevents the dog from becoming a projectile in the case of an accident and also lowers the chance of injury as well," says Sparks.
