Today's Sunday Dog feature is a link to an excellent article, "Dogs in hot cars: Where is it legal to help them?" that came to us on social media from the most reliable site Mother Nature Network.
Many of our readers are in Massachusetts where we've had a Good Samaritan Law since 2016.
Massachusetts Law Updates explained the new law, "
"A bystander, in addition to animal control officials, law enforcement or firefighters, may enter the vehicle if “reasonably necessary to prevent imminent danger or harm to the animal.” Any action by a person or first responder would follow checking to see if the door was locked, calling 911, and making an effort to locate the owner. The person must stay with the animal until law enforcement arrives, and is immune from liability resulting from the animal’s removal.
The Act also prohibits dogs being tethered outdoors for more than 15 minutes during a weather advisory or watch issued by federal, state or municipal agencies, as well as extreme weather conditions. Additional restrictions were placed on dog tethering “for longer than 5 hours in a 24-hour period and outside from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., unless the tethering is for not more than 15 minutes and the dog is not left unattended by the owner, guardian or keeper.”
This article is national in scope and may be of help to our friends and readers around the U.S.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: Screengrab courtesy of Mother Nature Network.
