The California dog in car law is there to protect animals from suffocating, overheating or freezing to death in a car. In certain circumstances the owner could be fined $500 and jailed up to six months!
California Dog in Car Law
California’s Penal Code 597.7 is what is known as the California dog in car law. This law spells out specifically what will happen to a person that leaves an animal confined in an unattended motor vehicle.
For the first offense, it could be only a $100 fine if the animal didn’t suffer much. The fines go up with multiple violations and the worst outcomes get a person a $500 fine and up to six months in jail.
Most of the people who leave their dog in the car mean no harm. They aren’t aware that the car heats up to an extremely hot temperature very quickly. They return to their vehicle to find someone has smashed the car window and rescued their dying dog.
On a nice 75 degree day, the temperature can rise to 100 degrees within 10 minutes. On a 100 degree day, the temperature inside the car will reach 140 degrees within 15 minutes. You might intend to be inside the store for only 5 minutes, but once you get into a long checkout line and chat with a friend you are gone for 20 minutes – long enough to kill your dog.
The best thing to do is to either take your dog inside the store or to leave your dog at home. Always keep a vest type of dog harness in the car. Most clerks in retail stores will assume your dog is a service dog and won’t bother you about it if there is no food being served. Have a happy and safe travels with your dog by car.
