Putnam County SPCA Warns Drivers After Multiple Dogs Left in Hot Cars

Many Dogs Left in Hot Cars in Putnam County

The Putnam County SPCA recently shared a social media post that gave a little insight into what a day in the life of the Putnam County SPCA looks like.

Judging from the post alone, it looks super busy.

As we looked over all the calls and incidents they received we noticed many of the calls were due to pet owners leaving their dogs in the car during the warmer days we've experienced so far this spring.

Temperatures have reached the high 80s and as we all know cars get hot...fast.

7 of the calls were calls about dogs being left in a car during a "warm sunny day." The calls came in from parking lots for Home Depot, Hudson Valley Credit Union, DeCicco’s & Sons, Tops Market and several other Putnam County locations.

The Putnam County SPCA writes "This is only a small glimpse into the daily operations of the Putnam County SPCA Law Enforcement Division."

The Difficulty of Animal Cruelty Cases

In the post the Putnam County SPCA dives in to what happens during these calls. They write "Many calls ultimately involve misunderstandings."

These misunderstandings branch off from civil disputes, lack of education and evidence or situations where "animals are found to be properly cared for after an investigation."

Of course there are other cases where verbal warnings and criminal charges are given and other cases where arrest are made.

READ MORE: Rescued Wisconsin Beagles Begin New Lives in New York

Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors in animal cruelty investigations and as the Putnam County SPCA explains the "investigations are often complicated."

SPCA officers are often responding to "emotionally charged situations" all while trying to protect "animals who cannot speak for themselves.

Is It Illegal To Leave Your Pet in a Hot Car?

It shouldn't have taken this long to make it a law, but yes. It can be illegal to leave your pet in a car if the weather outside makes it dangerous.

According to Section 353-D of the New York State Senate:

A person shall not confine a companion animal in a
motor vehicle in extreme heat or cold without proper ventilation or other protection from such extreme temperatures where such confinement places the companion animal in imminent danger of death or serious  physical injury due to exposure to such extreme heat or cold.

Leaving a dog in such conditions can result in felony charges. Learn more at NYSenate.gov.