Calif. law would allow people to smash car windows to rescue pets
By Jeremy B. White, Sacramento Bee
By the time Sharie Lesniak finished her errand at the bank, the dog she had noticed waiting in a car on her way in had started panting and showing signs of distress.
So Lesniak called 911. Before the authorities arrived to free the animal, the owners showed up. They weren’t pleased.
As the founder of mydogiscool.com, a website devoted to guarding against dogs overheating in cars, Lesniak was accustomed to explaining the law against endangering animals by leaving them in hot vehicles. She knew she could call the authorities.
But a new bill would give her another option, allowing Californians to smash car windows and break imperiled animals out of vehicles that are too hot or cold without facing a civil lawsuit.