‘Belligerent’ man ticketed after dog left in hot car

Winnipeg police have ticketed a man accused of leaving his dog in his vehicle in a grocery store parking lot, then attacking bystanders who were concerned about the pet’s welfare during the intense heat earlier this week.

Winnipeg Police Service patrol officers were called to the Safeway parking lot on the 600 block of Osborne Street at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday over the incident.

Police believe the man parked in the lot and left his German Shepherd in the vehicle to shop. Several bystanders gave the “thirsty, distressed” dog cold water through a crack in the window. The driver confronted them, then went back into the store. The bystanders continued to try to help the dog, as the temperature was about 30 C with a humidex value of 43 C.

The man then returned to his vehicle and was “belligerent” with the bystanders, before hitting one of them with his vehicle, reversing into a parked pickup truck and driving off at a high speed, police said.

Officers identified the suspect and went to his residence, where they found the dog tied up in the backyard and were met by the man, police said.

A 67-year-old man has been issued several tickets under the Highway Traffic Act and the Animal Care Act, including inflicting suffering, anxiety or distress to an animal, failing to ensure adequate food or water for an animal, and failing to provide an animal with reasonable protection from injurious heat or cold.