A Winnipeg man has been handed multiple provincial offence notices after leaving his dog alone in a car on Wednesday during the Winnipeg heatwave. The incident took place around 1 p.m. when the man allegedly left his German Shepherd unattended in a parked car in a grocery store parking lot on Osborne Street. The Winnipeg Police Service noted that on this day the temperature was about 30 C, with humidex values of 43. According to police, several bystanders provided cold water to the “thirsty, distressed” dog through a slightly open window. Officers said, at one point, the driver confronted the bystanders before returning to the grocery store. The bystanders then continued to give the dog water while the owner shopped. Police allege that when the owner came back to his car, he was “belligerent” with bystanders before hitting one with his car, reversing into a parked pick-up truck, and speeding away. Officers were called to the scene and identified the driver. Police went to a home in the Lord Roberts neighbourhood where they found the German Sheppard tied in the backyard. Officers said they were then met by the “belligerent” 67-year-old man who was provided with several provincial and serious offence notices for driving carelessly; inflicting suffering, anxiety and distress upon an animal; failing to provide an animal with reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold; and failing to ensure an adequate source of food or water for an animal, among other offences. Anyone who wishes to report an animal mistreatment incident can contact the Winnipeg Police Service, Winnipeg Humane Society or the Province of Manitoba’s animal care line.
