Animal Abuse Penal Code

Penal Code 597.7

Under the amended law it says, no person shall confine or leave an animal in any motor vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of an animal due to heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, or lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability or death to the animal.

Unless the animal suffers great bodily injury, a first conviction for violation of this code is punishable by a fine not exceeding ($100) per animal. If the animal suffers great bodily injury, a violation of this code section is punishable by a fine not exceeding ($500.), imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months or by fine and imprisonment. Any subsequent violation of this section regardless of injury to an animal is also punishable by fine or imprisonment or both.

A peace officer, humane officer, or animal control officer is authorized to take all steps that are reasonably necessary for the removal of an animal from a motor vehicle including, but not limited to, breaking into the motor vehicle, after a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other person responsible. In other words, an officer can break out a window of the vehicle to rescue the animal. So not only will the person have to pay a fine, go to jail or both, but then also pay for a new window.

Even when parking your car in the shade, leaving the windows down, it can still get up to 160 degrees inside the vehicle. Our officers carry as standard equipment, a digital thermometer to read the temperature inside the vehicle.

When you do take your pet in the car, take precautions like bring water and a bowl to hydrate your pet and keep them safe.

Jeff Hoffman has twenty-five years of experience investigating animal abuse, and neglect. If you have anything  in mind that you would like Jeff to write about, you can submit your ideas  by email to Jeff at investigations@humanesocietyvc.org.