It’s Idaho Law | You Cannot Break Window To Save Dog In Hot Car
I can’t believe that here in Idaho we haven’t figured out a way to protect these animals better. As temperatures heat up here in the Treasure Valley we all know that it’s twice as hot inside a vehicle which becomes not only dangerous but deadly for animals. And you’re telling me I can’t save these poor creatures when I see this kind of abuse happening right in front of me???
These poor creatures are helpless and rely on owners who actually THINK and unfortunately, some either just don’t care or are too mindless to remember that the 100-degree temperatures outside are equivalent to 148 degrees inside the car. Yeah, that’s right. Those sound like oven temperatures and to the dog, I’m sure it feels like it too.
So what do you do if you happen to come across a vehicle with these scorching temperatures that have a dog trapped inside? You can see the dog panting, exhausted, tortured, and desperate but guess what? You’re not allowed to save that little guy. At least not right away.
Oh, sure you can call animal control, you can call authorities and you can sit there and watch this poor little guy die while waiting for them to get there. Or you can bust out that window and save him yourself BUT… be prepared to be hit with heavy penalties for doing so. Yep, it is illegal for you to break that window out no matter how good your intentions are.
29 different states have what’s called the ‘HOT CAR LAW’ in effect which allows people to simply do what’s right and save these poor animals in desperate times but Idaho is NOT one of those states.
There’s also a number of states that are currently looking into adopting the ‘HOT CAR LAW’ but Idaho is NOT one of those either.
So what happens if you say, “Screw It, I’m saving this guy?” Yes, it’s breaking the law and you will most likely end up with a misdemeanor on your record along with a fine. That’s usually the case even if you’re a repeat offender although some states will hit you with a felony if you continue to play hero doing this over and over again.
If you’re not wanting to break the law, authorities ask that you do the following…
Take a picture of the license plate
Call local authorities
Do not leave the vehicle. Stay with the animal.
Be prepared with water so that when the dog is released it has something to drink
No place is perfect. Idaho’s great but we have some work to do and this is one area I’d like to see change. These animals rely on us to take care of them. When someone’s abusing their animal whether it’s intentional or not, we all should have the right to step in and stop that abuse immediately.