Reports of dogs left in hot cars rise in Clark County

Clark County Animal Protection and Control has been receiving dozens and dozens of calls from people reporting dogs left alone in hot vehicles, department manager Paul Scarpelli said Wednesday.

The majority of calls are coming from the city of Vancouver, where callers have spotted dogs in parking lots outside of stores, Scarpelli said.

The department has four officers and provides countywide coverage seven days a week. A marked increase in calls about dogs in cars, while not unusual during a stretch of hot weather, leaves his officers scrambling, Scarpelli said.

He said officers first ask the caller if an attempt has been made to talk to the store manager and have a message broadcast over the public address system, but in strip malls it can be difficult to know which store the owner is in, he said.

If the owner can’t be located, an officer will go to the scene.

Animal control officers carry heat-sensing guns that can gauge a vehicle’s internal temperature. Dogs don’t have the ability to sweat and can experience heat stroke very quickly, Scarpelli said.

Officers can go so far as to break a window, Scarpelli said. They can cite the owner for animal cruelty and issue a $250 ticket.

But the department doesn’t want to issue tickets, he said.

“We just want people to take care of their animals. We’re trying to change behavior,” Scarpelli said.

He said dogs shouldn’t even be left in a vehicle with open windows and parked in the shade.

Instead, leave pets at home.

Signs of heat stroke are excessive panting and salivating, glassy stares, dizziness, sluggishness and vomiting.