As summer approaches, state police remind pet owners of ‘hot car bill’

Just a few weeks out from the official start of summer, Pennsylvania State Police are reminding pet owners that a shady parking spot and cracked windows are insufficient measures to protect animals locked in a car from the deadly effects of heat stroke.It’s the first summer season since Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 104, otherwise known as the “Hot Car Bill.” The law provides protection for law enforcement and first responders when a dog or cat is removed from a car when the animal is showing signs of distress.“If you see a dog or cat in a hot car, call Law Enforcement!” tweeted Trooper Anthony Petroski, public information officer at Troop N headquarters in West Hazleton, on Monday.Important bill that @GovernorTomWolf enacted in 2018 ⬇️If you see a dog or cat in a hot car, call Law Enforcement! #mondaymotivation #mondaythoughts pic.twitter.com/5gzhQVn4wa— Trooper Petroski (@PSPTroopNPIO) June 3, 2019The state’s law was designed to protect animals from hot and cold temperatures, but will receive extra scrutiny in the summer, when sweltering temperatures can cause permanent injury or death to an animal in a matter of minutes.A blog written last year by ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker noted that “thousands of animals suffer the same painful fate every year.” Bershadker said owners fail to understand that on an 85-degree day, interior temperatures in a car can exceed 100 degrees in only 10 minutes and can jump to 120 degrees in under half an hour.While Pennsylvania’s hot car law extends protections to law enforcement and first responders, there is no good Samaritan provision. That means civilians who notice an animal in distress are required to contact police or a local humane officer, and are not permitted to break a window or enter the vehicle beforehand.The law says first responders must make a reasonable effort to locate the driver of a vehicle, and have a good faith and reasonable belief that the dog or cat is in imminent danger. However, Petroski said the time spent to locate an owner before helping the animal would be “circumstantial based on each scenario.”“If an animal is removed from the vehicle and taken to an animal hospital, PSP would then refer the case to the PSP Animal Cruelty Liaison as well as the county/state dog officer for further follow up,” Petroski said in an email. “The dog officers decide if the animal gets removed from its owner. Each case is different and [any citations issued or charges filed are] a case-by-case decision.”Pet owners are discouraged from traveling with a pet in the car during the summer months. Anyone who must travel with a pet in warm weather is urged to set up reminders of the animal’s presence, such as a leash or note in the passenger’s seat, as well as a reminder on a mobile device.
Source: Morningcall