Dog Owners Fined After Viral Video Reveals Dog Tied To Car In Hot Costco Parking Lot

The City of Burnaby, British Columbia, is hoping a recent viral video will serve as a wake-up call about pet safety after a dog was found tethered to the rear of a vehicle in a Costco parking lot on May 5 in the hot sun.

Good Samaritans spotted the dog tied to the back of the car and immediately called the BC SPCA, which dispatched animal control. Daniel McDonald, a City of Burnaby Animal Control Officer, responded to the call and noted that tethering a dog outside a vehicle like this was not only “very peculiar” but a first in his experience.

The owners, who returned about an hour after Good Samaritans reported the incident, claimed it wasn’t too warm out when questioned by Officer McDonald, who later told Global News that it’s a reason he hears quite frequently. The concerned bystanders had given the dog water and noted that it didn’t wag its tail upon seeing his owners, suggesting the animal was stressed or afraid.

The dog’s owners were fined for failing to have a valid dog license, improper tethering, and leaving a dog in the heat without water. Officer McDonald warned them that he has seen dogs die in situations just like this “far too often.” Officer McDonald questioned the dog’s owners as to why the dog wasn’t simply left at home.

A second video was later brought to his attention showing what appeared to be the same dog tethered to the same vehicle in the same parking lot—earlier in the year, this time in cold weather. While the first witness hadn’t reported it then, thinking it was a mistake, the new footage raises additional concerns and questions about the dog’s ongoing welfare. The case is under review.

The incident underscores the importance of speaking up when something seems off, especially with the warmer weather putting more animals at risk.