A new law in Tennessee, allows citizens to break into cars to save animals on a hot day, Bark Post reported. The law is effective July 1 and is an extension of Tennessee's "Good Samaritan law" that allows people to break into cars to save children.
But before breaking into a car, specific steps needs to be taken to qualify for protection under the law which includes searching for the owner and notifying law enforcement. "If you act reasonably, as any reasonable person would respond, you will not be at fault to save a life. You will not be at any fault to save a life and/or animals," Nashville Fire Department Chief of Staff Mike Franklin said, reported Nashville ABC affiliate WKRN.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals expressed support to House Bill 537. "The ASPCA strongly supports states giving law enforcement and Good Samaritans the ability to intervene to protect animals suffering in hot cars," Chloë Waterman, senior manager of state legislative strategy of the ASPCA said, according to Huffington Post.
Meanwhile, Tennessee State Rep. David Hawk said that he was moved to introduce the bill after learning of a situation in which one dog died, and another was seriously injured, when it took too long for police to reach the car they were trapped in, the Johnson City Press reported.
According to the Humane Society, the temperature in a car could go reach up to 120 degrees on a 85-degree day, which could be dangerous to animals. Aside from Tennessee, 16 other states have laws on prohibiting unattended animals in a car.
