BC woman faces jail, $75K fine after dog dies in hot car

The dog was left unattended as temperatures climbed to 30C.

A Victoria, B.C. woman has been charged with animal cruelty after leaving her dog to die in a hot car in July, the B.C. SPCA reports/

On July 23, 2018 Stephanie Skinner left her Boston Terrier Ava in a car for seven hours with the vehicle's windows closed.

The temperature climed to 30C that day.

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Skinner has been charged with one count under the animal cruelty act.

She will make her first appearance on March 28 at the Western Communities Courthouse.

If convicted, she faces fines up to $75,000, as many as two years in jail, and a poissible lifetime ban on owning animals.

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CARS HEAT UP QUICKLY ON HOT DAYS

When the temperature is 26 degrees Celsius outside, it can climb to 32 degrees inside a car that's parked in the shade, and 71 degrees if the car is parked in the sun within minutes.

"A dog's normal temperature is 39 degrees [and] when they reach 41, they can only withstand that for a small amount of time before there can be brain damage," Lynn Michaud of the Ontario SPCA told the Canadian Press.

"[When] you have that ongoing exposure, it can cause death."

If you plan on going out with your dog, experts recommend leaving a person in the vehicle to monitor your animal. If you plan on being out for an extended period, leave your pet at home.

Should you come across an unattended animal locked inside a hot car, contact your local SPCA or police immediately.