The only hot dogs were the ones on the BBQ in Chatham Friday as Pet And Wildlife Rescue (P.A.W.) put on a event to show humans what it feels like to be cooped in a car for 15 minutes with no air-conditioning.
Police officers, local media and anyone willing to give it a shot was able to participate in the event outside Pet Smart in Chatham-Kent. The event is aimed to stop pet owners from leaving animals in cars by showing the public just how hot it gets within minutes of an enclosed car in the summer.
Constable Renee Cowell spent her quarter-hour in a police cruiser in full uniform.
"It was stifling. It was actually stifling in the cruiser," Cowell said. "It was getting very hard to breathe, I could feel my ears getting red and I was just sweating profusely."
The temperature inside the car reached upwards of 44 C, which was pretty cool considering the heat warning was dropped early Friday morning.
According to the manager of animal control services with P.A.W., Jason Hamm, the tests done during the heat wave car reached temperatures in the 80s, which can potentially kill an animal in minutes.
"That's almost instant death for a pet right there," Hamm said. "A lot of people think it's OK for a few minutes, but it's really not."
The main problem, according to Hamm, is dogs don't sweat so the only way to cool themselves down is by panting. He added if they are stuck in a hot car breathing in hot air, then the panting isn't helping them cool down at all.
Hamm said it is best to contact P.A.W. if they see an animal in a car or call the police.
Cowell, on the other hand, said if the animal appears to be in immediate distress someone could break the window, but it would be at their own risk because it might land them a mischief charge.
"Things like that get dealt with on a case by case basis," Cowell said. "The reality is if you see an animal or a small child in a hot car, please call police immediately."
All proceeds from the BBQ will go towards temperature guns for Animal Control throughout Chatham-Kent so officers will be able to tell exactly how warm it is inside the vehicle quickly and efficiently.
Dolce eagerly awaits her new owner as she is being adopted at the P.A.W. Turn Off The Heat event in CK. July 6, 2018. (Photo by Greg Higgins)