TRF what do you guys think about this proposed law?

[Danny83]

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/articl...aw-7943381.php

[77T]

A humane option - in such a situation a citizen shouldn't need a badge to exercise good judgement to save a helpless animal. Of course, this form of "Good Samaritan" work is fraught with pitfalls if it is gamed by thieves...

[Israguard]

what an amazing law. Should be law everywhere

[Cru Jones]

The law should also specify that the owners get civil service and are fined.

[Abdullah71601]

Nice idea, but allowing citizens to damage property is ripe for abuse of the "good faith" requirement.

Call 911, cops will be there in 10 minutes to extract the pooch.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Nice idea, but allowing citizens to damage property is ripe for abuse of the "good faith" requirement.



Call 911, cops will be there in 10 minutes to extract the pooch.

I tend to agree. You'll have people exercising this law just because. I can imagine a fight breaking out as a result as well, when the owner returns.

I always leave my car running when my boxer is with me unless it's a perfect 60 degrees and I'm say grabbing a coffee then I'll roll down all the windows 1/4.

[Gaijin]

Great law. Law or no law I think most of us will help a distressed animal.

[bayerische]

It's a law over here.

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Nice idea, but allowing citizens to damage property is ripe for abuse of the "good faith" requirement.

Call 911, cops will be there in 10 minutes to extract the pooch.

Cops in 10 minutes? Maybe in a metro area but where I live or many of the places I have lived, an hour to the nearest walmart or more. I called 911 about 2 years ago as I saw a dog on the side of the rd that had been hit. I knew it wouldn't make it but wanted the owners to be able to say goodbye if we could find them. Took the officer a bit over 30 minutes to respond and the dog passed in my arms during that time. Now I put the poor things out of their misery so they don't suffer until they leave this earth.

[Rootbeer]

I kinda think it is the sort of thing you should call 911 for and then they should be advising from there. If it was a child that was trapped then of course and to hell with the consequences. If it was a big dog that might cut itself jumping over broken glass or injure me, my family or a bystander - or just run off never to be seen again it becomes a different proposition.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by GB-man

I tend to agree. You'll have people exercising this law just because. I can imagine a fight breaking out as a result as well, when the owner returns.

I always leave my car running when my boxer is with me unless it's a perfect 60 degrees and I'm say grabbing a coffee then I'll roll down all the windows 1/4.

I can see a gunfight over this. Imagine someone coming back to their car and some dude has broken in. The dog's welfare won't enter the picture. It will be a car thief and a car owner with a carry permit.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Nice idea, but allowing citizens to damage property is ripe for abuse of the "good faith" requirement.

Call 911, cops will be there in 10 minutes to extract the pooch.

10 minutes? Assuming you live in an area where an officer can or will arrive in 10 minutes, that is could be a matter of life and death for a dog; not to mention torturing at that point.

I'm glad to see these laws getting passed. Personally, I do not need permission to smash a window to save a dog from dying in a locked car. I can live with any consequences that may come from it legally.

I did it once in Miami and would gladly do it again.

[Rolex addict]

No good deed goes unpunished. There are steps laid out in the bill. Most people have cell phones and it would be wise to document (ie. take pictures and/or video) of the vehicle, tag, animal, etc. before calling 911. That is evidence which can be used in court later if needed.

[andromeda160]

apparently there's already a similar law in Michigan already. If I saw a dog in distress I wouldn't think twice about saving them reguardless of legality. I have a window breaker on my knife and obviously I'd check its locked first but just because animals are legally property, I don't think they should be treated as such.

[ref1655]

absolutely...if one cannot responsibly or humanely take care of their pets and/or children, then they don't deserve to have them. period.

a broken car window can be easily repaired...in many cases, a life cannot.

[cop414]

I think it's a good idea, personally I'd call 911 and monitor the dog, if the PD didn't show up by the point that I felt the animal was in danger then I'd do what I had to do.
Just before I retired I arrested a woman who let her dog die in her blistering hot car in a hospital parking lot. Horrible scene where the dog apparently tried to dig up under the seats either to find a cooler spot or was trying to dig his way out. The woman took a hearing, no deals that day,,, guilty as charged.

[CRM114]

Extremely bad idea. Let the proper authorities handle it.

I've experienced far too many dog-owning nutters (the numbers of which seem to be growing) who have a very shaky grasp on reason and reality when it comes to animals. Those misanthrope-types go looking to play vigilante or one-upmanship when it comes to self-righteous "caring" about pets, and especially when trying to out-do each other. The last thing anyone needs is to give them legal free reign when it comes to destroying someone else's property based on how they feel at the moment.

[RichM]

Not sure I like it. Let the authorities handle it. Call 911.

I could just see my wallet is missing, my cell phone, I kept $50 in the console, now it's gone. Let the police or fire handle it.

[greggsiam]

The person must also have a "good faith belief" that the animal is in danger if they aren't removed immediately.

This is the bad part. There are too many emotional, nutcase pet owners that think a dog sitting in a car for 5 minutes gives them the right to smash a window. There's just too many people with poor judgement for me to trust a law like that. If an animal is truly in danger, the police can be called. It's their job. I don't want the crazy PETA lady smashing my window because my dog is sitting in my car on a 70f day for 15 minutes.

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by greggsiam

This is the bad part. There are too many emotional, nutcase pet owners that think a dog sitting in a car for 5 minutes gives them the right to smash a window. There's just too many people with poor judgement for me to trust a law like that. If an animal is truly in danger, the police can be called. It's their job. I don't want the crazy PETA lady smashing my window because my dog is sitting in my car on a 70f day for 15 minutes.

Try sitting in your car with the window slightly cracked for 15min on a 70 degree day. Now imagine being a dog with fur and can't sweat to cool your body temperature.

From the AVMA:

The temperature inside your vehicle can rise almost 20º F in just 10 minutes. In 20 minutes, it can rise almost 30º F...and the longer you wait, the higher it goes. At 60 minutes, the temperature in your vehicle can be more than 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature. Even on a 70-degree day, that's 110 degrees inside your vehicle!


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[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by cop414

I think it's a good idea, personally I'd call 911 and monitor the dog, if the PD didn't show up by the point that I felt the animal was in danger then I'd do what I had to do.

Just before I retired I arrested a woman who let her dog die in her blistering hot car in a hospital parking lot. Horrible scene where the dog apparently tried to dig up under the seats either to find a cooler spot or was trying to dig his way out. The woman took a hearing, no deals that day,,, guilty as charged.

That's exactly what we did in Miami. I went from store to store in the immediate area and asked who had a dog in a white Toyota but nobody spoke up so I called 911 while my wife videotaped the dog panicking and struggling to get air since the window was barely cracked (85 degrees and very humid) After waiting 7 more minutes, I smashed the window and removed the dog while we waited for the police to arrive. 10 minutes later, an officer arrived with no sense of urgency. There is no doubt that this dog would have died in that time.

The owner showed up shortly after and was given a summons to appear and then left with the dog.




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[GB-man]

Originally Posted by greggsiam

This is the bad part. There are too many emotional, nutcase pet owners that think a dog sitting in a car for 5 minutes gives them the right to smash a window. There's just too many people with poor judgement for me to trust a law like that. If an animal is truly in danger, the police can be called. It's their job. I don't want the crazy PETA lady smashing my window because my dog is sitting in my car on a 70f day for 15 minutes.

Gregg,

I get your point and generally agree with you.

Unfortunately, 70 is too warm to leave a dog unattended with windows merely cracked. I know it sounds crazy but studies have shown how quickly the temp rises and makes it hazardous for our furry friends. As such, my cutoff for this sort of behavior is 55-60 degrees and I crack the windows a healthy amount, enough my pooch can actually put her head out if she wanted.

Also, I only do this for 5 minuted run ins etc. 15 and I leave it running and locked ymmv

[RationalPragmatist]

Good one and let's lock up the moron owners in their car for an hour to help them understand their stupidity.

[skydriver]

Depends on how hot it is, how the dog looks, and how quick the police will be able to get there once you call them. But I am all for breaking a window to save a dog.

[68camaro]

Don't like it, call 911. How does someone know its been 2 minutes and I am walking back from car two rows over.

Wait till the first person does it to the wrong person, will not end well.

[threemonkeys]

In my personal experience, most people won't do a thing that involves sticking their neck out. You know - the 'someone else will take care of it' types. I've got great common sense and street smarts. And I'm just not wired for inaction. So if a pet were in great distress, I wouldn't hesitate to smash a window and ask questions later.

[goin camping]

Out here in Ca. There will be many do gooders busting windows regardless of the weather and even if the windows are partially down.

When it is 75 or below I leave my pups in the jeep for up to ten minutes with the windows open 5 or 6 inches. Not worried about car thieves as large GSD's tend to keep people honest.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by threemonkeys

In my personal experience, most people won't do a thing that involves sticking their neck out. You know - the 'someone else will take care of it' types. I've got great common sense and street smarts. And I'm just not wired for inaction. So if a pet were in great distress, I wouldn't hesitate to smash a window and ask questions later.

I don't know how great common sense equates to destroying someone's property.

People all assume they will know that the pet is in great distress. But the definition of distress varies from person to person. You guys are trying to do the right thing, but you're not really qualified to make an informed decision on the health of the animal. We have service dogs here that work outside all day when it's 135 in the shade. They pant constantly, but they are healthy and well cared for by trained handlers. By your standards, the dogs wouldn't be allowed to work and their handlers sent to jail.

This law would be abused by activists, nut cases, and people with an ax to grind. The unintended consequence will be the death of some people when the inevitable conflict arises. Better to pass a law that prohibits pets in cars, then no one has the opportunity to abuse the animal.

[rr-nyc]

Originally Posted by 68camaro

Don't like it, call 911. How does someone know its been 2 minutes and I am walking back from car two rows over.

Wait till the first person does it to the wrong person, will not end well.

Simple, if it's been only been two minutes, your dog won't appear to be fighting for it's life. There's a clear difference between a dog panting and one that is yelping in agony as it claws at the window trying to get the hell out.

[Alexwwjd]

Totally agree with this law!