SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s Animal Care Services (ACS) responds frequently to cases involving pets left in hot vehicles — and the consequences for owners can be serious.
ACS says the temperature inside a parked vehicle can increase within minutes, creating a dangerous situation that can push pets into heat stress.
Three dogs were found dead inside a vehicle Monday in a downtown San Antonio parking lot. Investigators believe the dogs likely died from heat exposure, though the case remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.
What charges a person could face for leaving a pet in a hot vehicle
Bethany Snowden, captain and ACS interim assistant director, explained how these cases are classified.
“These kind of cases, it’s considered a cruel confinement case. Also, does the animal have access to water, shelter, shade? So those are different things that we look into when we’re investigating essentially animals and vehicles,” Snowden said.
A cruel confinement case can range from a Class C misdemeanor up to a Class A misdemeanor — or higher. A Class A misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
If you spot a pet in distress inside a hot vehicle, ACS urges you to call 311 and alert animal control immediately.
“These are our hottest months of the year, and any animal that’s contained in a vehicle, even with the windows cracked, that doesn’t do anything,” Snowden said.
ACS also recommends leaving pets at home whenever possible — in a cool space with access to water.
“Our pets don’t need to go everywhere with us,” Snowden said. “If you want to take them outside, then just making sure that you keep responsibility for everything that you have on you, and that way there’s no duress that happens to any of these animals.”