Pets, Vehicles, Hot Days – Don’t Mix, June 10

Law enforcement agencies in Oregon are once again advising pet owners to not leave dogs, cats, or other domesticated pets unattended in vehicles during hot weather. Since June 1, 2016, The Douglas Co. Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications center in Roseburg received 26 calls related to dogs being left unattended in hot vehicles. While Oregon law allows law enforcement officers to charge the pet owner with Animal Neglect which is a Class B misdemeanor, for leaving their animal in a hot vehicle unattended, it seems that many people continue to place their pets in harmful situations. Douglas County Sheriff’s deputies will now be issuing a citation to the pet owner in the amount of an $260 violation for every pet left unattended for any length of time in a vehicle on a day over 80 degrees. Also, the owner could face fines up to $500 and/or up to six months in jail, including possible felony charges if the pet is severely harmed or dies. Temperatures inside a vehicle can climb quickly. When it’s 80 degrees or higher outside, temperatures within a vehicle can reach 120 degrees or more in ten to twenty minutes, even with the windows opened slightly. Heat stress or stroke, irreparable brain damage and death can follow shortly thereafter. If you see an animal in a parked car and believe that it is in distress, call local law enforcement agency.