Vet posts photo of dead dog as stern reminder to smarten up
Digital Reporter
Sunday, July 30, 2017, 6:21 PM - A B.C. veterinary hospital is taking an alternative approach to caution pet owners about the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars.
In a post published on Friday, the Shaughnessy Veterinary Hospital shared a photo of a dog that died after being left in a hot car the same day.
"People obviously still need to be reminded about this, and to me, the best reminder was the picture of the deceased dog lying on our table in the back of the clinic," veterinarian and hospital owner Leah Montgomery told Global News, speaking about the difficult decision of whether or not to post the photo.
"[I]f that doesn’t hit home to people, I don’t know what else is going to."
The Shaughnessy Veterinary Hospital later commented on the post after receiving a lot of backlash directed at the owners of the deceased pet.
"Friends, this was posted as a reminder that this CAN HAPPEN - to anyone. They are not "bad" pet people. Take it to heart, remember this, and NEVER let it happen to you. Be careful when you cast stones," the comment read.
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"I think people don’t think, and they think, 'Oh, it’s only going to be a minute,' and then it just turns into longer. You get distracted or you just forget that the dog is in the car," Montgomery later explained to Global News.
"So when we are talking to the clients they are obviously so upset and we can’t get angry, we can’t lay the blame, because they are blaming themselves enough."
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"This week is a time to be extra vigilant with kids, pets, and the elderly," The Weather Network meteorologist Nadine Hinds-Powell said. "The heat can build in a very short span of time, especially in confined locations."
B.C. is expected see temperatures in the mid to high 30s this week, with a high chance of record-breaking heat for southern sections of the province.
