Officers can break into cars to save pets from heat
Humane and police officers haven't had to use a state law passed last year that shields them from liability if they have to break into a vehicle to rescue a pet in danger of overheating, but they say they will do so if they must.
Signed into law in October, the Motor Vehicle Extreme Heat Protection Act protects police, public safety officials and humane officers from liability if they remove a dog or cat they believe is suffering and in danger from an unattended vehicle and they can't find the driver or owner.
Janice Lawniczak, Butler County humane officer, said she has received only one call — last summer — about a dog left in a car, but the vehicle was gone when she arrived.
“If someone does call, we have to try to find the owner first. Obviously, if the dog is in major distress, I'm going to break the window,” Lawniczak said.
An officer who removes a dog or cat from an unattended vehicle is required under the law to take it to a veterinary hospital or animal care clinic for a health screening and treatment and leave a conspicuous note stating the officer's information and where the owner can pick up their pet.
“I would take the animal to the nearest vet,” Lawniczak said.
The temperature inside a vehicle with the windows up can be 20 degrees hotter than it is outside, she said.
On an 80-degree day, the temperature inside a car can reach 99 degrees in just 10 minutes, 109 degrees within 20 minutes and 114 degrees within 30 minutes, according to a memorandum attached to the law.
It says animals do not sweat like humans do, so they have no way to cool themselves down in hot conditions, causing irreversible organ damage, heat stroke, brain damage and, in extreme cases, death.
“It doesn't have to be a hot day for this to happen,” said Jennifer DiCuccio, executive director of the Butler County Humane Society.
A person who leaves a pet in a hot vehicle can be cited with a summary offense and fined up to $300 if convicted, she said.
Concerned citizens who encounter a pet they believe to be in danger should call 911 and not take matters into their own hands, she advised.
“If you're just a citizen, don't break the window. It doesn't protect everyday people,” DiCuccio said. “This law protects law enforcement and police agents.”
Dogs can be cooled down by applying cool water to the head, neck and under the legs, but using water that is too cold can result in shock, she said.
“A dog in distress in a car should be taken immediately to a vet,” DiCuccio said.
City Police Chief Robert O'Neill said the department hasn't received any calls about pets left in hot vehicles this year, most likely because temperatures haven't been very high.
“We encourage people to never leave pets in their cars,” O'Neill said. “We are empowered by the new law. We can gain entry into that vehicle to get the dog.”
