Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
If you’ve ever left your dog in the car for “just five minutes” on a summer day you could be subjected to criminal liability.
How? According to the United Animal Nations, dogs don’t have sweat glands all over their bodies as humans do. They cool off by panting, which is inefficient. Once a dog’s body temperature gets over about 106 — normal temperature is around 101 — dogs can suffer within a matter of minutes, everything from nerve damage, heart problems, liver damage, and systemic organ failure.
The United Animal Nations has a program on their website that shows how hot a car can really get. For example, when it’s 72 degrees, a car in direct sun can reach an internal temperature of 116 degrees. Even in the shade, a car can be 10 to 20 degrees hotter than outdoors–and cracking the window has almost no effect.
In light of these facts, leaving your dog in the car can also have criminal consequences. Under Florida Law, animal cruelty can result in a court-imposed fine of up to $5000, and imprisonment up to one (1) year. Intentional cruelty is a felony and a defendant could be fined up to $10,000, and sent to prison for 5 years.
Comments about this post can be directed to Ocala Animal Rights Attorney Whittel & Melton, LLC at 866-608-5529.