We have all heard about animals being trapped inside sealed vehicles on the news, and we all hope we never see this infuriating situation happening ourselves. Finally, it appears one state is making an effort to crack down on this neglectful behavior.
It always seems to crop up from time to time, and despite the media firestorm that surrounds it each time, it appears that not everyone understands how dangerous this can be.
The biggest issue with dogs being stuck inside cars is the fact that they have difficulty regulating their body temperature. They rely on panting instead of sweating due to their fur, and this greatly reduces their moisture content and increases their overall body heat.
Often, owners who forget to open a window for their canine companions also do not leave a bowl of water for them to drink from. This is a serious problem, as it only takes a few minutes before the heat can begin to have a negative effect on their vital organs.
So what is Kentucky doing to protect pets who have been left defenseless?
Imagine you see an animal in a car on the hottest day of the year, with no air ventilation, no drinking water, and the owner is no where in sight. What would you do?
As we have seen many time, there are a large number of people who have decided to take matters into their own hands and use physical force to rescue them, even going so far as to damage the car.
Now, Kentucky has introduced a bill that aims to protect individuals who do so from having to pay for the damage to the vehicle. It comes as an amendment to the existing law which ensures those who save children from the same situation are not charged.
State Senator Morgan McGarvey, who is sponsoring the bill says that there will be limitations based on what constitutes 'danger' and what reasonable force can be used.
"As long as you've called the authorities, you've tried other ways to rescue the dog," McGarvey said. "You won't be held civilly responsible."