Lifestyle

Car Break-ins Are Now Legal to Save the Life of a Dog, Cat or Child

A new Colorado law makes it legal to break into a hot car to save the life of a dog, cat or child. Prior to the enactment of the new law, any person breaking into a car could be subject to charges of criminal mischief, trespassing or tampering. To be exempt from such charges, a person must reasonably believe that the unattended pet or child is in imminent danger of death or serious injury, and before breaking in, they must exhaust all other rescue options, such as attempting to contact the owner of the car and calling the police.

Jackie Brown is a freelance writer from Southern California who specializes in the pet industry. Reach her at jackiebrownwriter.wordpress.com.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Mariia Komar | Alamy Stock Photo.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!

Read more about dogs in cars on Dogster:

Dog in a hot car. — You can now break into cars to save the lives of dogs and children in Colorado. Photography ©PK-Photos | Getty Images.

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Tags: Dogster Magazine, Dogster News

Jackie Brown

Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian's Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet magazines, including Dog World, Natural Dog, Puppies 101, Kittens 101 and the Popular Cats Series. Prior to starting her career in publishing, Jackie spent eight years working in veterinary hospitals where she assisted veterinarians as they treated dogs, cats, rabbits, pocket pets, reptiles, birds and one memorable lion cub. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons and miniature poodle Jäger. Reach her at jackiebrownwriter.wordpress.com.

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