As summer temperatures rise, so do the number of beloved pets lost to vehicular heat stroke. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), that number reaches the hundreds every year.

This isn't surprising considering that on a 72-degree day, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to almost 116º F in just an hour — about as much time as it takes for a grocery store run. That's dangerously hot by any standard, but especially for dogs, who lack the sweat glands we humans have to regulate body temperature¹.

Even on a cloudy day with the windows cracked, conditions inside a car may turn lethal for any animals trapped inside within a matter of minutes. Rolling down the windows has actually been shown to have little effect on the temperature inside a car².

Most tragically, nearly all of these incidents happen by accident due to simple misjudgments of time or weather.

As of 2020, 31 states and the District of Columbia have some kind of "hot car" law. In West Virginia and New Jersey, it is a crime to leave an animal unattended in a vehicle under inhumane conditions, but it is also illegal to enter the vehicle to rescue a trapped animal. Fifteen states provide immunity only for law enforcement, first responders, or animal control officers who enter a vehicle to rescue an animal. Only fourteen states have "Good Samaritan" or "Right to Rescue" laws which grant civil immunity for civilians rescuing an animal from an unattended vehicle under certain circumstances—like contacting law enforcement before entering the car².

In states where these "Right to Rescue" laws are enacted, concerned bystanders can forcefully break into locked vehicles to free trapped dogs (and kids) without facing civil liability. Where the laws are not in place, concerned citizens may still get a pass from local legal systems.

Former ALDF fellow Jennie James writes, "Given bloated dockets, crowded prisons, and mandatory sentencing schemes, prosecutors are generally motivated to dismiss or settle cases brought against meritorious defendants. Thus, the person who breaks a car window to free a trapped dog may be lauded, not charged. In fact, since police enjoy similar discretion, the dog's rescuer may not even be arrested³."

The fact is, no one should be punished or sued for saving a life. "Right to Rescue" laws save lives when temperatures rise, and they should be implemented throughout the country.

Sign below to urge the USDA to give us the right to rescue endangered pets!

More on this issue:

1. The Humane Society of the United States (2021), "What to do if you see a pet in a parked car."
2. Animal Legal Defense Fund (2019), "Acts against leaving dogs locked in hot cars."
3. Jenni James, Stanford Journal of Animal Law & Policy (1 July 2014),"When is Rescue Necessary? Applying the Necessity Defense to the Rescue of Animals."