Rescuing Pets From Freezing Cars Could Lead To Legal Trouble

Apparently, if I see a dog trapped in a freezing car in Michigan, I'm going to jail.

I was surprised to find that Michigan does not have any laws specifically against leaving your pet in a hot or cold car.  However, the Kronzek Firm points out that Michigan does have animal cruelty laws under which this issue may fall.

• Cruelly driving, working, or beating an animal
• Transporting an animal insecurely
• Abandoning an animal
• Negligently allowing an animal that is aged, diseased, maimed, or hopelessly sick
• to suffer unnecessary neglect, torture, or pain
• Use of tethers less than 3 times the length of the animal

There are 31 states in the U.S. with laws in place to protect dogs from this horrifying death; Michigan is NOT one of them, according to AnimalLaw.info.

So, what should you do if you see that someone left a pet in a hot or cold vehicle?  WJBQ.com had these tips:

• Take a picture of the license plate with your phone
• Call local authorities
• Stay with the animal...never leave the vehicle.
• Ask someone to get water (if first responders get the dog out, and you can start cooling the dog)
• Remain calm (most important)

If you break into someone's car to save a pet in a freezing or sweltering hot car, you could face felony charges.