From DogTime:
“What To Do If You See A Dog
In A Hot Car”
If you see a dog locked in a hot
car, you’ll probably want to do something to save that pup. Every year dogs die
in hot cars, even though many states have created laws that make it a crime to
leave a dog in a hot car. Before you immediately start smashing windows, there
are some things you should know, including what is legal and illegal in your
area. Many states have laws protecting those who break into cars to save
animals, and other states do not. You should prepare for when you see a dog in
need and know what steps you should take to ensure their safety.
What Does The Law Say About
Breaking Into Cars To Save Dogs?
The following states have laws
that grant some level of immunity to civilians who break into hot cars when
dogs’ safety is at risk:
Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Florida, Indiana (requires the person who breaks into a car to pay the owner
for the cost of half of the damages, but they’re immune from any other
liability), Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont,
Wisconsin
These states’ laws protect
individuals, but usually only if they go through certain steps and follow
guidelines before breaking into cars to rescue dogs. So just because your state
has these laws doesn’t mean you can go around smashing windows at will without
consequences.
Other states only protect law
enforcement, animal control officers, humane workers, or certain other
government employees who break into hot cars to save dogs. These states
include:
Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,
Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina. North Dakota. Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington
The states not listed above may
not have laws specifically created to grant immunity to those who break into
hot cars to save dogs. However, several of them do have broader laws about
animal cruelty, neglect, or endangerment that can apply to the situation of a
dog in a hot car. You should familiarize yourself with the local laws in your
area and call authorities if you see a dog in danger, no matter where you live.
What Steps Should You Take If
You See A Dog In A Hot Car?
Regardless of where you live, you
should make an attempt to contact the owner of the vehicle. If it’s parked in a
lot, go into the establishment and talk to the manager or an employee about the
situation. They may be able to find the owner of the vehicle and resolve it. If
you can’t find the owner, you’ll need to take further steps to get the dog to
safety. All laws that protect individuals who break into hot cars to save dogs
have certain guidelines that must be followed. If you live in a state that
grants immunity to civilians, you should familiarize yourself with these
requirements.
In general, you must take the
following steps to have protection under the law:
Have a reasonable belief that the
dog is in danger of death or great harm.
Check to see if forced entry is
necessary, meaning all doors are locked and windows are shut.
Call emergency services,
including law enforcement or animal control.
Stay with the animal until law
enforcement arrives.
Use no more force than necessary
to break into the car, which means you can’t vandalize or cause more damage
than needed to get the dog to safety.
If you live in a state that
grants immunity to law enforcement or animal control officers, call 911 any
time you see a dog locked in a hot car. They will have legal authority to break
into the vehicle.
If you live in a state that has
no specific law regarding dogs locked in hot cars, you should still call 911
and follow the instructions of law enforcement officers.
What If The Law Doesn’t
Protect You?
If you live in a state that
doesn’t protect people who break into hot cars to save dogs, and you have
attempted to contact the owner of the vehicle and law enforcement to no avail,
you have to decide if a dog’s life is worth potentially breaking the law and
facing the consequences. Personally, I couldn’t let a dog suffer and die if I
could do something about it, and I’d much rather pay damages than allow
something terrible to happen. Ultimately, that is a choice you will have to
make on your own. I cannot tell you to break the law. Only you can decide what
is right. If you’ve taken all the necessary steps to save the dog from the hot
car, and you reach the point where it’s time to break a window, you may have
some difficulty shattering the glass. This is because car windows are made of
tempered glass that’s meant to withstand blows from blunt objects. So a bat, a
hammer, or even a rock might have trouble shattering a car window. An easier
way to break a car window is to take a spark plug, which can be found under the
hood of many cars, and break a piece of porcelain off of it. The sharp point of
the porcelain can cause a small fracture in the glass that spreads and shatters
the whole window. Sometimes you simply have to use what is on hand and keep
trying. One man in Canada used a large rock to smash a car window and save a
dog. Regardless of what you use, you should break the window farthest from
where the dog is. Car windows should shatter in such a way that minimizes the
chance of cuts or injury, but a rock or projectile can still cause some damage,
and you don’t want to hit the dog.
What Should You Do Next?
Get the dog somewhere cool and do
whatever you can to lower their body temperature. Make sure that they get
plenty of water.
If law enforcement still hasn’t
arrived, you may need to take the dog to an emergency vet that can help. Leave
your contact information on the car or with the employees of the establishment
that it’s parked in front of.
Make a report with law
enforcement, noting the license plate of the car. Get the information of any
potential witnesses who can vouch for the fact that the dog was in immediate
danger.
Make sure that the owner is held
accountable for their actions and that they know that what they did was
dangerous and irresponsible.
^ It should be illegal in every US
State and Territory (and across the world) to leave a dog, cat or any animal in
a locked vehicle whether it’s Extremely Hot or Extremely Cold. ^
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