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| © Provided by The Family Handyman FH060611_001_HHPETS_05 dog looking out car window |
By Kiersten Hickman, The Family Handyman
Maybe leaving your pet in the car for a few minutes seems harmless. Similar to how it’s illegal to warm up your car in some states, apparently it’s illegal to leave your pet in the car in 28 different states across America.
Published through Michigan State University’s Animal Legal & Historical Center, the law states
that those who leave a “companion animal unattended in a parked
vehicle” and if the conditions “endanger the animal’s life,” the law is
violated.
The states that have laws protecting animals within cars include:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Now
some of these state laws take it a step further, allowing individuals
or law enforcement to rescue animals without extreme conditions. It
protects the right of the animal, while also protecting the individual
since whoever left the animal within the confined car is clearly in
violation of this law. A majority of these states require that
particular people are called upon as the “rescue” squad, which includes
law enforcement, firefighters, animal control, first responders or
authorized humane officers.
However, in 12 of the 28 states above,
any person is allowed to save a distressed animal. These states include
Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts,
Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont and Wisconsin. But for some of these
states, there are a few penalties that limit the civil or criminal
liability that takes place at the scene—aka, breaking into a car.
Indiana, in particular, requires the person to pay half the damages that
occur when rescuing an animal. West Virginia and New Jersey are the
only states that claim leaving an animal in a car unattended as a
criminal act but do not provide a rescue provision under these
circumstances.
The consequences of leaving your pet in the car
vary from state to state. Some penalties could mean a fine of a couple
hundred to thousands of dollars. Some lists may even require jail time
or even imprisonment, including West Virginia and California. New
Hampshire’s laws state that a second conviction is a felony offense.
Why
is it illegal to leave your pet in the car? Well, it’s bad for your
pet’s overall health. The temperatures outside affect the heating or
cooling within a car when it’s off, meaning your pet could be dealing
with extreme temperatures while sitting in your car. A cold car could
result in your pet freezing, while a hot car could leave your pet
overheating. Those extreme temperatures can be hazardous, which is why
you would regret leaving your pet (and these 8 other things) in your car this winter.
Even
if you’re running into to the store super quick, it’s still unsafe for
your pet to stay in your vehicle like this. Rolling the window down
won’t completely help the harmful conditions your pet may have to face
while you’re running your errand. It’s one of the many ways you can
protect the safety and health of your pet, along with these 17 best tips for pet care and pet safety.
