Ontario animal welfare agency warns pet owners after dog dies in car fire

SMITHS FALLS, Ont. — The death of a dog locked in a car that caught fire has prompted Ontario’s animal welfare agency to issue a warning about the dangers of leaving pets unattended in vehicles.

Normand Beauchamp, who is fire chief in Smiths Falls, Ont., says the incident happened around 2 p.m. on Wednesday when a small dog was left in a running car at a Walmart parking lot.

He says the owner told firefighters they wanted to keep the dog cool, which is why they left the air conditioning running.

But Beauchamp says the car caught fire and the dog had nowhere to go and died.