DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WPRI) — Dartmouth Animal Control responded Monday morning to another report of a dog being left inside a hot car.
In a Facebook post, the agency urged people to leave pets at home, saying the dog was inside the vehicle for at least 25 minutes until they were able to get to the scene. It was 84 degrees outside at the time, according to animal control, and 94 degrees inside the car.
On Saturday, animal control said another dog was found amid the sweltering conditions in a car outside Walmart. The agency noted that leaving a pet inside a hot vehicle—no matter the length of time or whether the windows were open—is a ticketable offense.
Authorities in other cities and towns including New Bedford and North Smithfield also responded to similar reports this weekend. In Jamestown, a woman was charged with animal cruelty after her three dogs died. Police said the vehicle they were left in for an undetermined amount of time was running but the air conditioning didn’t appear to be working and the windows were rolled up.
Thirty-one states have laws in place to protect animals from being left unattended in a car, including all six New England states. According to Massachusetts law, it’s unlawful to confine an animal in a motor vehicle in a manner that could threaten their health, such as exposure to extreme heat.
