Did you know that it is only legal in eight states to break a car window in order to save a dog? California, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio, and Tennessee are the only states that have what are called “Good Samaritan” laws that make it legal for any person to break a car window to save a pet. Although all 50 states have laws in place to protect animals from any type of neglect, cruelty or abuse, only some have laws that really protect them in a situation like this.
I see videos on Facebook all the time about a dog being saved from a hot car in the summer, but I never thought I would be put in a situation concerning a dog being in danger. Although it was not the hottest day, the sun was shining and the interior of my car was hotter than I felt comfortable sitting in. I pulled into a parking spot and I am glad I chose the one I did. If I had not parked there, who knows how long the dog would have been in the car without anyone noticing. At first I was just excited I got to see a cute dog, then minutes went by without the owner returning. Thinking they would be out soon, I went into the store and returned maybe ten minutes later. The dog was STILL there, windows barely cracked an inch and the car was obviously getting hotter, just as mine did in the ten minutes I was gone. Being curious and worried, I waited and there was still no owner. Finally, I along with others around that noticed me looking into the car and wondered what was wrong, we found the owner in the store and she saw no problem with it, saying “we do it all the time.”
Knowing what I know now, after doing some research due to being extremely annoyed by the situation, I think it should one-hundred percent be legal to break a window if an animal is in danger. In New York, only law enforcement officers or humane officers are allowed to break a window to save a dog. In two states, New Jersey and West Virginia, no one is allowed to break a window to save a dog, not even law enforcement.
On the contrary, if a child’s life is in danger, in the same exact situation, it is widely accepted for a person to break a car window to save that child’s life. If a child’s life is in immediate danger, breaking a car window can be done without fear of a legal consequence. In my opinion, any life is a life, whether it is a child or a dog, saving that life should be legal. Which is why I would stand up any day for the fact that in New York, along with the other 41 states who do not allow it, breaking a car window to save a dog’s life should be legal.