Hot dogs
Pet owners in the community are being asked to remember not to leave their dogs in cars on hot days, even if the windows are open.
Audrey Hill, Powell River SPCA branch manager, said that within the past two weeks there have been at least two instances per week of dogs being left in cars that SPCA and RCMP had to intervene in. Concerned residents have called Hill after observing dogs left in cars for long periods of time.
Hill warns that some people may resort to smashing in a vehicle window to retrieve an overheating dog, something which happened in Nanaimo when a vehicle’s back window was broken to remove a dog.
“It’s wasting my time, it’s wasting the RCMP’s time and there is going to be someone who is going to be violent and smash someone’s vehicle sooner or later,” said Hill. “People are threatening to do it.”
If police are called to inspect a parked car and agree that the animal is in critical distress, then they can authorize a tow truck company to open the vehicle, under RCMP supervision, to remove the dog. The dog is then taken to a veterinarian. The owner is responsible for the cost of the towing company and the veterinarian.
The amount of time it takes for a dog to become critically overheated in a parked vehicle depends on the outdoor temperature and on the size of the dog, but the situation can be deadly in just 10 minutes. Even when temperatures are in the low 20s the temperature in a car parked in the sun can be in the high 30s, even if the windows are cracked.
The best defence, according to Hill, is for people to leave their dogs at home on sunny days when they know they are going to have to leave them in the car for even a short period of time.
Night lights
Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 are being hailed by those in the know as the best nights to see the Perseid meteor shower in the skies over Powell River.
Every August this meteor shower lights up the sky as the earth passes through remnants of an ancient comet. The shower typically reaches its height on August 12, but meteors can be seen for around a week leading up to and following its peak.
There is potential for the full moon to reduce visibility of meteors this year, but baring any cloud cover the best time to view the natural spectacle should be late at night, starting around 11 pm. Facing away from the moon, looking into the northwest, will most likely be the best bet.
Meteor showers often come in bursts with long waiting times in between, so patience is a virtue for spectacular stargazing.
