VIRGINIA BEACH — Leaving a dog in a parked car on a hot day can be dangerous — even deadly — but should you break a window to rescue a distressed dog? According to state law, the answer is no — unless you’re willing to pay.
As summer temperatures heat up, dog owners need to exercise caution when taking their pets out on the road.
Leaving dogs in cars during the summer months, even for a few minutes, can result in heat stroke, brain damage or death, according to the Humane Society.
Even leaving pets in running cars with the air conditioner on can be unsafe, according to the DMV.
The Humane Society says when it’s 80 degrees outside, the inside of a car will heat to 99 degrees within ten minutes.
“There is no code specifically prohibiting owners from leaving animals in cars,” Virginia Beach Animal Control supervisor Rebecca Franklin said. “There are a number of different charges that may be associated; animal cruelty or failure to provide adequate care.”
Charges can range from a class four misdemeanor to a class six felony — which can carry a five-year prison sentence. Charges will depend on how distressed the animal is and if negligence and cruelty can be proven, Franklin said.
As of 2016, it is permissible in Virginia for any law enforcement officer, firefighter, emergency medical personnel or animal control officer to remove an unattended animal “at risk of serious bodily injury.”
There is not, however, a law that protects citizens from breaking into cars to rescue a dog. Individuals will be held responsible for any damages resulting from forcible entry.
If you see a dog left in a car, contact surrounding businesses to find the car owner and the non-emergency police line.
Virginia Beach Animal Control usually receives around 20 calls a month reporting animals left in cars, Franklin said.
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