WRPS warns against leaving pets and children in vehicles as temperatures soar
As extreme heat persists across the region, Waterloo Regional Police are urging the public not to leave children or pets inside vehicles under any circumstances.
With temperatures expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius by Sunday, police say the inside of a parked vehicle can become dangerously hot within minutes, even with windows slightly open.
'Temperatures inside can quickly become hotter than the temperature outside, and cracking a window does not help,' police said in a social media post.
Under Ontario's Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act, police officers, First Nations constables and provincial animal welfare inspectors have the legal authority to enter a vehicle if a child or animal is in distress.
According to the province, the temperature inside a closed vehicle can rise dramatically within the first 10 minutes and often far exceeds outdoor temperatures, sometimes doubling within an hour.
Signs of distress and heatstroke
The Ontario government says animals are especially vulnerable to heat because they cannot regulate body temperature as effectively as humans. Signs of heat distress in animals include excessive panting, drooling, muscle twitching, weakness and vomiting — all of which can precede heat stroke.
For children, symptoms of heat exhaustion may include headache, nausea, weakness, extreme thirst, muscle cramps and confusion. In severe cases, heat stroke can occur, marked by high body temperature, red or hot skin, loss of consciousness and an absence of sweating.
Health experts recommend moving anyone showing signs of heat stroke to a cool area, offering water, applying ice packs and calling 911 immediately.
Regional police say the public should do the same if they see a child or animal locked in a hot vehicle. They warn people not to attempt breaking into vehicles themselves, but instead to call emergency services.
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