A dog was left inside a vehicle on a hot day for more than 20 minutes.
Ponoka RCMP state they received a call May 22 of a frantic dog barking while locked in a vehicle.
“The dog was barking frantically. Police attended and located the dog which had no water and was in the vehicle for approximately 20 minutes,” say police.
Considering the warm weather recently, RCMP advise dog owners not to keep their animal inside of a vehicle during the hot summer months when unattended.
“Just five minutes in a locked vehicle, depending on the outside temperature, can kill your pet,” say Ponoka RCMP.
Pets get heatstroke much more quickly than humans, say police, because they can’t cool themselves off by sweating.
“Dogs and cats in particular only have sweat glands on their paws and that does not help on a hot car seat,” police continue.
Police suggest when the temperature increases, even by a few degrees, can be a cause for worry when locked in a vehicle.
There were no charges stemming from the incident.
If you see an animal in distress in a vehicle dial 911 for police assistance.
Vehicle swerving on the highway
On May 25 the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit received a complaint of a northbound grey KIA that was swerving all over Highway 2 by the Matejka overpass.
Police attended to the area and observed the vehicle in the slow lane unable to maintain proper control. Police activated emergency lights and the vehicle eventually pulled over on to the shoulder.
Upon stopping the vehicle, say police, a strong odour of alcohol was found to be emanating from the vehicle. Police allege that the driver of the vehicle had crammed a large amount of bread into her mouth and she was unable to speak.
The driver was instructed to exit the vehicle and was observed to be very unsteady on her feet. A clear odour of liquor was apparent on her breath. A 53-year-old female from Calgary, was charged with impaired operation and failing to provide a sample.
If you have information, please call the Ponoka RCMP at 403-783-4472. If you want to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), or by internet at www.tipsubmit.com. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers, and if you provide information to Crime Stoppers that leads to an arrest(s), you may be eligible for a cash reward.