Massachusetts State Police held a demonstration in 2021 to show how quickly temperatures rise inside a sealed vehicle. On an 80 degree day, this thermometer reading shot up to 120 degrees in just 9 minutes. (Boston Herald/Getty Images)
Warm weather is here again, and by now the dangers of leaving a child or pet in a hot car are—or should be—common knowledge. Obviously, children should never be left unattended, and many states have seen the need to specifically ban this practice with pets.
Remember, even on a mild 70-degree day, temperatures inside a sealed car can reach 115 degrees, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, especially if the car is colored dark And breaking the windows has been shown not to make enough of a difference.
The National Safety Council says 33 children will die from heatstroke in cars in 2022, and two have died so far this year. And the American Veterinary Medical Association says hundreds of pets die each year in hot cars. when it’s hot, leave your pets at home.
Of course, some newer EV models like the Tesla and Rivian have a pet mode that keeps the climate controls on and pets cool while parked. Here’s an explanation of how Tesla’s feature works. Ford is working to patent a similar feature. Some newer cars, such as some Hyundai, Subaru and Nissan models, have a rear occupant alert that will sound audible alarms if it detects movement inside after the driver locks the car. This was originally designed to protect children, but could also apply to pets. But most cars on the road don’t have these safety systems.
Thirty-one states have some type of law intended to protect animals in vehicles. In at least 19 states (plus Washington DC), there are laws that make it illegal to leave a pet unattended in a vehicle in extreme temperatures or other life-threatening conditions, and violators can be charged with animal cruelty. These states are:
- Arizona
- California
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- snowfall
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
In 21 states (plus DC), authorities such as police, fire, or animal control can forcefully open a car in order to rescue an animal. This usually involves breaking a window.
Additionally, many states have Good Samaritan laws that protect bystanders from liability when they help someone in need. In the following 13 states, these laws include rescuing a pet from a hot car:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
Indiana has a similar law, but requires the Good Samaritan to pay half of the damage to the vehicle.
If you find a pet in danger inside a vehicle…
Note that:
- You must notify the authorities before attempting a rescue.
- In many cases, the laws are written in language that says the rescuer must have a “reasonable belief” that the animal is in imminent danger, so there is some subjectivity involved. It may be a good idea to take a quick video of the situation with your phone in case you need to explain your actions.
- Some laws say that a first responder should not use more force or do more harm than necessary.
- And some states have different considerations about what types of animals can be rescued. Some cover only dogs and cats, while others refer to animals more broadly. Other states exclude livestock.
For a complete list of what’s allowed in all 50 states and what your state’s laws say, check out this list from Michigan State University’s Animal Legal and Historical Center. Ironically, many of the states that do not have laws addressing this issue are in the hot South and Midwest, even though those states likely have general animal cruelty statutes.
Finally, the two major automaker groups serving the U.S. market have agreed to make rear occupant alerts standard on new cars by 2025. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers includes BMW Group, FCA US LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover. , Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen Group of America and Volvo. The Global Automobile Manufacturers Association includes Aston Martin, Bosch, Byton, Denso, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Isuzu, Local Motors, Maserati, McLaren, Nissan, PSA North America, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.
