Toronto's human inhabitants may be enjoying today's record-setting heat, but other city-dwellers are not: five dogs were rescued from inside overheated cars as the temperature soared to 32°, according to Animal Services.
Police were called to a parking lot near Rexdale Boulevard and Queen's Plate Drive earlier after one dog was discovered locked in a vehicle. The driver, who officials say is not the animal's owner, was arrested for an unrelated offence. The small, mixed-breed dog is in good health and awaiting its owner at the West Region shelter.
On Wednesday, Animal Services officers were alerted in two similar incidents when one dog was discovered in a car and another was found tied up on the sidewalk. An Extreme Heat Alert issued by the city on Tuesday remained in effect Wednesday.
"People need to be mindful and aware of the conditions outside," said Bruce Hawkins, a spokesperson for Animal Services. He cautioned pet-owners not to leave dogs locked inside vehicles or sitting on the sidewalk for extended periods.
Ontario is will continue to experience abnormally high temperatures for the rest of the week, thanks to a weather system moving up from the Midwestern U.S. The previous hottest temperature for May 26th was recorded in 1944, when the mercury hit 31°.