Pet Care on Canada Day

With the warm weather, festivities and evening fireworks, Canada Day is an exciting day for humans. It also presents challenges for pet owners. This Canada Day, use our checklist below to make sure your pets are able to have as good a time as you!

    1. Fireworks
      Fireworks are incredibly loud for animals. The explosions are frightening and happen at unpredictable intervals. Pets can interpret fireworks as threats, possibly causing them to run away or hide. It’s best to keep your pet indoors in a cool location with water. Pets that do run away and are confused or panicked often wind up in shelters like the OHS, so make sure your pets are microchipped.
    2. Alcohol/Cannabis
      Alcohol and cannabis are dangerous for pets to consume and can lead to vomiting, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, urinary incontinence/dribbling urine, hypothermia, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death. If ingested, contact your veterinarian immediately.
    3. Heat – walking on pavement
      Summer weather, especially in recent years, is hot and humid. This heat means pavement can burn a dog’s feet when they walk on it. It’s best to either avoid paved areas and go to a dog park, or wait until it cools down.
      Heat – dogs in hot cars
      With only hot air to breathe within a hot car, a dog’s normal cooling process – panting – doesn’t work. A dog can withstand internal body temperatures of 40 C for only a few minutes before brain damage or death can occur. The older or more vulnerable the animal, the more susceptible they are to heatstroke or something worse. If you see an animal that may be suffering from heat exhaustion, and the owner can’t be quickly located, enlist the help of a parking attendant, security guard or nearby police officer, or call 911.

When calling to report an animal in a hot car, please provide the following information:

    • Caller’s name and phone number
    • How long has the caller seen the vehicle parked there?
    • Get the exact location of the vehicle
    • Get the make, model and colour of the vehicle
    • Get the license plate number
    • Are the windows up or down?
    • Is the vehicle parked in the sun or shade?
    • Is the vehicle running?
    • Is the dog sitting or lying down?
    • Is the dog panting?
    • Can the caller knock on the window? How does the dog react?
    • What type of dog is it? What does it look like?
    • Where is the dog in the vehicle?
    • Is there water in the vehicle for the dog?