The B.C. SPCA says a Victoria woman has been charged with animal cruelty after a dog died in a hot car last July.
West Shore RCMP responded to a report of a woman trying to resuscitate her pet in a parking lot on Veterans Memorial Parkway, near Goldstream Avenue, on July 23. She was visibly upset and being comforted by people around her.
A Boston terrier named Ava had been left in the car for seven hours. Temperatures outside the vehicle reached 30 C, and all of the windows were closed.
“This is such a tragic and preventable case,” the B.C. SPCA’s Eileen Drever said in a statement.
“Every year the B.C. SPCA and other animal welfare groups warn people about the dangers of leaving their pets in hot cars.
Even 10 minutes in a hot, unventilated car can be fatal for an animal — an animal left for seven hours would not have stood a chance.”
Stephanie Skinner is scheduled to make her first court appearance March 28 at the Western Communities Courthouse.
If convicted, she could face a fine of up to $75,000, up to two years in jail and a lifetime ban on owning animals.
