Every year, animal owners make the mistake of leaving their pet inside of an overheated vehicle. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die of heat stroke in just fifteen minutes.

With the warm summer months approaching, it's something as a pet owner that you should take very seriously.

"As the weather gets warmer, people need to be mindful when leaving a pet alone in a vehicle," said Police Chief Paul Ladouceur, "Ensure they have water and that the air conditioning is on or the windows are down."

It's recommended that should you have no other options, to leave the animal for a short period of time with the necessary steps to ensure their safety.

"Assess the temperature, and keep in mind that temperatures can increase rapidly when car windows are closed in direct sun light."

"Each summer we get numerous calls in regards to people leaving their animals in a vehicle. Unfortunately we've seen far too many times, pets perishing as a result of heat exhaustion and lack of water," explained Ladouceur.

Finding alternative solutions like leaving your pet at home in a cool safe environment or having someone watch your pet are just two examples of ways to avoid a poor outcome.