Police have recommended an assault charge against a pet owner whose dog was extricated from a locked vehicle.
Salmon Arm RCMP received a report of an animal in distress on July 25 at the Mall at Piccadilly. Sgt. Carlos Tettolowski says that after attempts made to contact the owner proved unsuccessful, the dog was removed from the vehicle.
“Shortly after the dog was removed from the car, the owner of the vehicle returned and confronted, then assaulted a bystander who was holding the animal,” says Tettolowski. The man was subsequently placed under arrest.
Tettolowski notes that leaving an animal in a vehicle in warm weather, even for short periods, can be fatal to the animal.
“Even if the windows are rolled down and water is left in the vehicle, the temperatures can become extreme, leading to the animal suffering.”