$1K Fine, Hot Car Warning For Anne Arundel Pet Owners

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Pet owners like to have their furry friends with them, but area police are reminding people to leave their animals at home now that the weather is warm, rather than in a hot car. Annapolis Police on Friday said it's common for the department to receive complaints about dogs left inside parked vehicles.

In extreme cases, such as the death of a pet in a vehicle, a charge of animal abuse can be filed that carries a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail for the neglectful owner, county authorities say.

State law says a cat or dog cannot be left unattended in a standing or parked vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety of the cat or dog. Police have the authority to use reasonable force to remove an animal from the vehicle and issue a ticket with a $70 fine.

Annapolis Police say they determine if the cat or dog is in danger by weighing factors like air temperature, humidity, level of cloud cover, amount of shade on the car, amount of time left in vehicle, and water and/or food available to the animal.

"Rolling down the windows has little effect on the temperature in the car. We also look at the animal, are they panting heavily, listless, or agitated?" the department said on its Facebook page.

In 2014, Anne Arundel County Police charged a New York woman who left her dog in a hot car for two hours while she shopped in Annapolis. A veterinarian euthanized the dog, whose organs were shutting down because of extreme heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

The pet's owner was charged with abuse or neglect of an animal, depriving an animal of necessary sustenance, inflicting unnecessary suffering or pain on an animal, and failing to properly care for an animal. Each count is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Both departments urge residents to call 911 to report animals left in hot cars.

How to help a pet left in a hot car:

• Take down the car's make, model and license plate number, says the Humane Society of the United States.
• If there are businesses nearby, notify their managers or security guards and ask them to make an announcement to find the car's owner. Many people are unaware of the danger of leaving pets in hot cars and will quickly return to their vehicle once they are alerted to the situation.
• If the owner can't be found, call the non-emergency number of the local police or animal control and wait by the car for them to arrive. In several states, good Samaritans can legally remove animals from cars under certain circumstances, so be sure to know the laws in your area.

On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels, says the Humane Society. On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die.

"It is never OK to leave kids or pets in a car — even with the windows down,” Dr. Christopher McStay, an emergency room doctor and assistant professor of emergency medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center, told WebMD. “It is an absolute no-no.

"Your car is a greenhouse, and temperatures can get exceedingly hot in an exceedingly short period of time," McStay wrote on WebMD.

»Patch file photo