Do you know the laws in your state when it comes to saving a dog or cat from a hot car in the summer or a freezing car in the winter? It is surprising that only 15 States have laws that outlaw leaving a dog in a hot car, resulting in citizen vigilante efforts to save pets from cruelty.
This beautiful retriever "Worthy" was close to becoming a service dog, when its guardian and trainer left him in a hot car while at work in North Carolina. Sadly, Worthy died because of this event. Recently, North Carolina passed a law allowing Police, Fire, & Humane Officers to legally rescue such animals.
The 15 Following States (AZ, CA, IL, ME, MD, MN, NV, NH, NJ, NY, ND, SD, VT, NC, and WV) have laws that specifically prohibit leaving a dog or any other animal in a confined vehicle under adverse conditions. In these states citizens can contact the Fire Department, Law enforcement or a Humane Officer who will be responsible to rescue the dogs or other pets. You will note many of these states come from cold climates as it is equally important to not leave your pet in a freezing cold car as it is a boiling hot car.
Not only is this a great system to have in place, but it also limits the dilemmas of common citizens to feel they are the only hope to save the life of a pet trapped in a car.
While not many states have formal laws on the books, many cities not listed below have created municipal laws. We encourage you to work with your local city and state governments to establish such laws.
Please email us if you would like an excel copy of details of these laws and links to the written codes associated with them.
