New law makes it possible for police to rescue animals from hot cars

Mel will not be left in a hot car!
Photo by Carl Dinse

Information courtesy Trupanion pet medical insurance

A new law went into effect in Washington state on July 24, 2015 to protect pets from some of the dangers of being left unattended in vehicles— whether from excessive heat or cold, or lack of ventilation or water. Under the new law, police officers will have the authority to rescue dogs and cats from unattended vehicles and will not be liable for damages caused.

Certain body types and breeds are more susceptible than others, including overweight pets and those with long hair, thick coats, or short faces. According to the Trupanion database, English and French bulldogs are 5 times more likely to suffer from heat stroke than the average dog. Heat stroke can become very dangerous and can be costly to treat if not caught early. The average heat stroke claim costs $1,300, ranging from less than $10 to over $10,000 in some cases.

Steve Weinrauch, Chief Veterinary Officer at Trupanion, commented on the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars, and the benefit of this new law: “Almost every summer I unfortunately have to react to the heat stroke of a family pet who was left in a car. In spite of the best emergency care, these cases often lead to tragedy. Nobody thinks that it could be their family until it’s too late. Bottom line— if you wouldn't be comfortable in a parked car with the windows cracked, neither would your pet.

 Leave your pet at home. In my experience, Weinrauch continues, most people understand the consequences of leaving a dog in a car on a 90 degree day. It’s the 70 to 80 degree days that catch people off guard. For example, a few years back, on an 80-degree partly sunny day I checked on a service dog in a car in front of a business. By the time the dog was removed from the car, his core temperature was 112 (normal range is between 99 and 102). Four hours and $5,000 later, the dog’s systems completely shut down and she died in the specialty hospital. I’m hoping that by discussing this now, someone can avoid the grief later. If we are talking about what to do about heat stroke, it’s often already too late.