Leaving Dogs In Cars In Summer: A Cracked Window Won't Cut It

BRANFORD, CT — The dog days of summer are a few months off, but the heat is on and inside a closed vehicle, it's even hotter, especially for pets. Branford police noted that in the past few days, officers have responded to several calls of dogs in vehicles. Police said in a Facebook post that one officer responded to three calls in just one day.

Using social media to educate folks, police conducted a little experiment to illustrate just how hot it can get inside a car, even on an overcast days with temperatures in the 60s.

The first photo was taken Tuesday.

Inside K9 Arrow’s car, with the outside temp at 61, in 10 minutes, the temperature inside became "almost 30 degrees hotter than the outside."

If you encounter a dog or other pet, or worse, a child, inside a car that is likely very hot, call the police.

Under a 2018 state law, someone, a good Samaritan generally, who "enters" a car with a child or pet inside is protected from civil or criminal penalties only if and when they first, have contacted police and while waiting for law enforcement, within a reasonable amount of time, reasonably believe that the child or pet is in "imminent danger," and, using no more force than necessary, takes steps to prevent "serious bodily harm" by "entering" the vehicle.