New law can save dogs lives- “Hot Car” Law
There is a new law (Fla State Statue 768.139) that allows people to break into a car when they feel that the occupant whether it be person or animal is in danger. We all know how hot it is here in Florida and that the inside temperature of a car can reach over 150 degrees within about 15 minutes. This law allows the public to save a person or animal from being within the confines of a car when in this dangerous situation.
What you need to know is that the action you take is at first based on your perception of the situation. Is the car on? Is the AC on?(is there water dripping under the car’s engine) Is dog or person in obvious signs of distress like excessive panting or lethargy. Without a close view you will not be able to see the dogs gum or ear color which shows red when overheated. Be sure that the person or animal is in distress and then contact the Police first before taking any action. If you break a window, be sure to do so away from the occupants current location. Stay with the animal or person in the immediate area until help arrives and attempt to give first aid. This is done by providing water and cooling the body down. A water soaked towel or shirt can be used to lower the body temperature down toward normal. The body temperature range for a dog or cat is 100.4 to 102.5 degrees. Here is also where you have to be extremely careful. You just broke a window to a car, how is that animal going to respond to the action? This could be seen as a threat by the animal and it could flee or even attack. Also that owner of the car may not be to happy with your actions even though you saved their pet or child.
This is why you need to contact the Police and stay there until they arrive. Because in actuality you just committed a crime by breaking the window. This law “grants civil immunity for damage to the vehicle for a person who enters a motor vehicle by force for the purpose of removing a vulnerable person or domestic animal” Nothing prevents you from also attempting to contact the owner first before breaking into the car. Use your best judgement in this matter. Render assistance in any way you can, even if it is just to alert 911. Speaking as a prior Police Officer, we take these calls very seriously and get to the scene as quickly as possible and will take all actions necessary, even citing the owner for Animal Cruelty if appropriate.
Keep on mind that various sates have different laws regarding this matter. Some states make the rescuer pay for half the damage and others will not even allow Law Enforcement to break into the car.
