It’s Against Michigan Law to Break a Window to Save a Dog in a Hot Car

Do you sometimes take your dog (or cat) with you when you run errands in the car?

When the weather is hot, do you leave your pet alone in the car?

If so, can you can be fined or sentenced to jail? A bill was proposed a few years ago saying that it would be a felony if the animal actually died. Evidently, it didn't pass, because so far in Michigan, it is not against the law...yet.

According to FindLaw.com, "When it comes to breaking windows to save that poor pooch's life, there are currently 15 states that have Good Samaritan, or civil immunity, laws that apply if an animal (or vulnerable person) is left in a car in extreme conditions. The laws generally allow you to use any reasonable means necessary to rescue the animal – which could mean breaking a window – without having to pay for damages or face criminal charges."

Michigan is NOT one of those 15 states.

As of 2022, 31 states have laws against leaving pets in motor vehicles.
Michigan is NOT one of those 31 states.

Have you ever been going through a parking lot and seen a dog in a car, alone, in hot weather, with windows rolled up? Most of us have. Have you been tempted to do something about it? Like smash a window and give that poor animal some cooler/fresher air? If you decide to take that matter into your own hands, you can be prosecuted.

So, even though it's not against the law to leave your pet in a hot car, it IS against the law if you see a poor trapped animal in a hot vehicle and break a window to save it.

So - let's understand this -
1) If you leave your pet unattended in a sweltering car with windows rolled up, you can NOT be prosecuted.
2) If you attempt to save a pet from suffering and/or dying from being trapped in a hot car, by smashing the window or damaging the vehicle, you CAN be prosecuted.

According to Julie Barber of the Kalamazoo Humane Society, “It's not uncommon on a day (for temperatures to get up to) 150 degrees inside a car in a very short span of time and even if your dog doesn't die in that heat, it can have lasting health, or permanent health consequences for doing it.”

Even if you keep your car windows open a little bit, it doesn't matter. Not enough fresh or cooler air can get in to give your pet a decent amount of relief...it can still get over 100 degrees inside. Animals are covered in fur, remember? Some people don't think about it or they just ignore it.

So if you come across a pet suffering in a hot car, seek an alternative way to save it...without damaging the car. Maybe go inside the building where the car is parked and have someone make an announcement over the PA system?

Any suggestions?

The video below tries to help with suggestions of its own.....