Saving Dogs In Hot Cars: Bill Would Protect Good Samaritans

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — In Illinois, it's illegal for a pet owner to leave an animal unattended in a hot car, but it's also illegal for a Good Samaritan to break a car window in an attempt to save that animal from the hot car. A bill sponsored by Rep. David Olsen (R-Downers Grove) that would change the current law to protect citizens from civil liability if they shatter a car window in an attempt to rescue an animal.

As written, the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act currently allows for "an animal control officer, law enforcement officer, or Department Investigator" to enter a car in which they feel an animal is in danger.

As a result, law enforcement has urged people to call police if they see an animal locked in a hot or cold car.

Animal rights proponents argue that every second counts when a dog is locked in a hot vehicle. Studies have shown that the temperature inside a car can increase by nearly 20 degrees within just 10 minutes, according to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF).

PETA stresses that an animal can suffer brain damage or die within 15 minutes of being left in a car with elevated temperatures.

Olsen's bill would permit a Good Samaritan to break a window to rescue an animal "in imminent danger of suffering harm" after making attempts to contact emergency services.

"We’re looking to save animals and not make somebody liable for a lot of money, when they are just trying to be a Good Samaritan and help out,” Olsen told Springfield Daily after he first proposed the changes to the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) recently spoke out against the bill, saying that it "could lead to lost dogs, property damage, and other unintended consequences" as written.

Olsen told Illinois News Network he plans to work with other lawmakers to tweak the bill's language to account for these instances, if necessary.

The issue got widespread attention in Illinois in June 2017 after a K-9 patrol dog named Drago died after being left in a hot car in Oak Forest.

A month later, a dog died in Oak Brook after being left in its owners Mercedes while she shopped. When police got to the scene and were able to remove the dog from the car, its body temperature had reached 109 degrees.

Its owner, a Glen Ellyn woman, was charged with a misdemeanor under the very act that Olsen seeks to amend in the hopes of giving Good Samaritans a chance to intervene and potentially save a dog's life.

As of Tuesday, the bill was placed on the legislative calendar for a second reading.

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