The Massachusetts State Police performed a demonstration in 2021 to show how quickly the temperature rises inside a sealed vehicle. On an 80-degree day, this thermometer reading rose 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 outlaw this practice, especially with pets. Remember, even on a mild 70-degree day, the temperature inside a sealed car can reach 115 degrees, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, especially if the car is a dark color. And cracking the window has proven to not make enough of a difference. The National Safety Council says 33 children will die from heat stroke in cars in 2022 — and two have died so far this year. And the American Veterinary Medical Association says hundreds of pets die in hot cars every year. In hot weather, leave your pet at home. Of course, some newer EV models like the Tesla and Rivian have a pet mode that keeps the climate controls on and keeps the pet cool while parked. Here’s an explanation of how Tesla’s feature works. Ford is working to patent a similar function. Some newer cars, such as certain models from Hyundai, Subaru, and Nissan, have rear occupant alerts that will sound an audible alarm if movement is detected inside the car after the driver locks the car. This was originally designed to protect children, but can also apply to pets. But most cars on the road don’t have these failures. Thirty-one states have some form of law 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 dangerous conditions, and violators can be charged with animal cruelty. Those states are: Arizona California Delaware Illinois Maine Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota Nevada 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, firefighters or animal control are permitted. Giving. Forcing the car open to save the animal. This usually involves breaking a window. Additionally, many states have Good Samaritan laws that protect passersby from liability when they help someone in distress. In the following 13 states, those laws include saving pets from hot cars: Arizona California Colorado Connecticut Florida Kansas Louisiana Massachusetts Ohio Oregon Tennessee Vermont Wisconsin Indiana has a similar law — but requires Good Samaritan to pay half the damages. Vehicle If you find a pet in trouble inside a vehicle… Remember: It is imperative that you notify the authorities before attempting to rescue yourself. In many cases the statutes 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. It’s wise to take a quick video of the situation with your phone if you need to explain your actions. Some laws say that a rescuer must not use excessive force or cause more harm than necessary. And different states have different considerations for 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, see this list from Michigan State University’s Animal Legal and Historical Center. Ironically, many of the states that have no laws addressing this issue are in the warm South and Midwest, even though those states have general animal cruelty statutes. Finally, two major groups of automakers serving the US market have agreed to standardize rear occupancy warnings 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 association of global automakers includes Aston Martin, Bosch, Byton, Denso, Ferrari, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Isuzu, Local Motors, Maserati, McLaren, Nissan, PSA North America, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.
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