Dangers of leaving your pets in a hot car

A look at the laws in Texas

SAN ANTONIO – The Animal Legal Defense Fund is making sure no pet gets left behind this summer.

While there are no statistics taken on these incidents, the ALDF says every year numerous pets die from being left in a hot car.

If you see a pet left behind in Texas, you are not supposed to break that window.

"Our message is first and foremost of course is call 911," Stephen Wells from the ALDF said.

Only two states, Wisconsin and Tennessee, have the "Good Samaritan" laws where a person is able to save a pet without any repercussions.

Texas also does not have a "Hot Car" law that prohibits leaving a pet unattended but someone who does can still face some charges.

"The animal cruelty laws would cover that, so it is something to be aware of," Wells said.

It doesn't take long for a pet to start suffering. On a 70 degree day it can take as little as five minutes for the temperatures inside the vehicle to raise to 90 degrees. On a day when it is closer to 90 degrees it can get up to 120 degrees inside a vehicle.

We may think opening a window can help, but that doesn't really work.

"Cracking the windows a little bit does absolutely nothing to change the temperature," Wells said.

As more awareness is spread about this issues the ALDF continues to strive for more states to adopt laws protecting pets.


About the Author:

Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.