Summer isn't even here yet and we're already experiencing extreme heat that can get downright dangerous… for us humans, and the animals who rely on us.
And unfortunately, some pet owners don't realize how dangerous it is to leave your pet in a hot car. Even when it is not that hot out, the inside of a vehicle can become an inferno.
Thankfully, 31 states have
laws against leaving dogs in hot cars, and protections for good samaritans or officials who rescue them. But in New Jersey and West Virginia, if someone tries to save a dog locked in a hot car, they could get into hot water. In these two states,
although it is a crime to leave animals in hot cars, no one is allowed to rescue them. Sign the petition to urge New Jersey and West Virginia lawmakers to adopt good samaritan laws that make it legal to save animals in hot cars!Some people may see bringing their dogs along for a car ride as a fun activity, and a good way to keep them from being alone at home for too long. But when we decide to take our dogs in our cars with us, they are entirely at our mercy. They cannot escape or use the temperature settings.
And when a car is parked, even for mere minutes, warm weather can make things extremely dangerous, extremely fast.If it is just 70 degrees out, it takes just 10 minutes for a car to reach 89 degrees inside. 20 more minutes, and that car's interior could get to 104 degrees. Every year,
hundreds of dogs die because of heat-related emergencies when they are left in hot cars. Still, far more hundreds are saved because of the quick-thinking of good samaritans --
we should be protecting these people, not criminalizing them!There are 14 states with laws that protect citizens who rescue animals from hot cars from legal repercussions.
How many more dogs will die in West Virginia and New Jersey because it is illegal to rescue them?Sign the petition to demand New Jersey and West Virginia lawmakers pass good samaritan laws that make it legal to save animals in hot cars!