No More Dogs in Parked Cars, Say Michigan Lawmakers

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says hundred of pets die from heat exhaustion due to being left in parked vehicles, per year.

A dog sits in a car after a greyhound coursing event near Warsaw on April 20, 2013. Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images

So far, 19 states have outlawed leaving your pooch in a locked, parked vehicle.

Lawmakers in the state of Michigan are now trying make it the twentieth, proposing two bills in the senate in hopes to enhance the protection of man’s best friend.

Should the push be effective, a felony charge will be instated—a punishment lawmakers believe will deter pet owners from leaving their pets in their cars.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says hundred of pets die every year from heat exhaustion due to being left in parked vehicles. In just 10 minutes, the inside temperature can rise by up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit; 40 degrees in just 60 minutes.

Cracking the windows has very little effect on the temperature rise inside the vehicle, according to the AVMA study.

“This is definitely a situation where ‘love ’em and leave ‘em’ is a good thing. Please leave your pets at home at home when you can...they'll be safe and happily waiting for you to come home,” AVMA said.

A photo by Martin Usborne from his series The Silence of Dogs in Cars, at the booth of Lee Marks, AIPAD photography show April 9, 2014, New York. Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times