Ah, summer is finally here. For a few months there we may have felt like it was never coming, but she has showed up in a big way! Before long temperatures will be soaring over the seventy degree mark and the calls about dogs in cars will be coming in left and right. Every year until the end of time we will be giving the reminder that always comes with this time of year, and that is to NEVER leave your pets unattended in a parked car.
Even with the best of intentions and advanced technologies, mechanical failures can and do happen. Animals and children can lose their lives. Even a quick stop at the store can be extended if you run into someone you know or the lines are long at the check out counter; your pets are safer at home.
Below is what you need to know about the law in WI regarding pets and children in hot cars:
S. A. 895.484 Statute Text:
(1) In this section:
(a) “Domestic animal” means a dog, cat, or other animal that is domesticated and kept as a household pet, but does not include a farm animal, as defined in s. 951.01(3).
(b) “Vehicle” means a motor vehicle, or any other vehicle, that is used to transport persons or cargo and that is enclosed.
(2) A person is immune from civil liability for property damage or injury that results from his or her forcible entry into a vehicle if all of the following are true:
(a) A person or a domestic animal was present in the vehicle and the actor had a good faith belief that the person or domestic animal was in imminent danger of suffering bodily harm unless he or she exited or was removed from the vehicle.
(b) The actor determined that the vehicle was locked and that forcible entry was necessary to enable the actor to enter the vehicle or to enable the person or domestic animal to be removed from or to exit the vehicle.
(c) The actor dialed the telephone number “911” or otherwise contacted law enforcement, emergency medical services, or animal control before he or she forcibly entered the vehicle.
(d) The actor remained with the person or domestic animal until a law enforcement officer, emergency medical service provider, animal control officer, or other first responder arrived at the scene.
(e) The actor used no more force than he or she reasonably believed necessary to enter the vehicle in order to remove the person or domestic animal or to allow the person or domestic animal to exit the vehicle.
(f) If the actor left the scene before the owner or operator of the vehicle returned to the scene, the actor placed a notice on the windshield of the vehicle that included his or her name, telephone number, and mailing address, the reason he or she entered the vehicle, and the location, if known, of the person or domestic animal when the actor left the scene.
Even though it may feel cool outside, it doesn’t mean the temperature is cool in your vehicle. Did you know that when the ambient outdoor temperature is 72 degrees, the interior of your car can reach a temperature of 116 degrees?
Stay safe and stay cool this summer and make sure that your pets do, too.
Click here to download or print a flyer for your home or business from HSUS!
