Mounties on Vancouver Island have launched an official review into the conduct of one of their own, after the member allegedly left a police puppy locked in a sweltering car for three hours while he went fishing.
The off-duty West Shore member left the 10-month-old German shepherd in his vehicle Thursday "for an extended amount of time" at the Goldstream Boathouse Marina in Langford, according to Cpl. Darren Lagan.
Concerned passersby tried unsuccessfully to remove the dog from the vehicle. Several men then sprayed the SUV with cold water from a hose in an effort to cool it down. Finally, the group erected a canopy tarp over the vehicle to give it some shade until the member returned.
The Island District RCMP said they decided to take action after seeing video surveillance taken at the scene.
"The RCMP has high expectations of the level of care provided to our police dogs," Lagan said in a statement. "Leaving the dog in these circumstances does not appear to meet these expectations."
The dog did not appear to have any signs of medical distress after it was removed from the sweltering car, he added. Temperatures reached 25 C in the Victoria area on Wednesday.
The review will be supported by experts from the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre.
On Sunday, a six-month-old puppy died after being locked inside a car at the B.C. Institute of Technology campus in Burnaby.
The puppy was found unconscious – and the internal temperature in the car had heated to 68 C.
Police say the sunroof was cracked open, but the young animal had been inside the car that was parked in direct sunlight for about three hours.
The BC SPCA says it is irresponsible for any pet owner to leave their animal in a hot car unattended, even just for 10 minutes.
