Here’s what to do if you see a dog confined in a car on a hot day, police say

Yes, it still happens.

Whether it be at grocery-store parking lots or elsewhere, some pets are being left in cars by their owners. When the weather is warm, it can be particularly dangerous, even for a brief time and even with rolled-down windows.

In Pierce County, it’s against the law to confine animals to vehicles if it’s life- or health-threatening to the animal. A violation of the law, according to county code, is a Class 3 civil infraction punishable by a $120 fine.

In December, the city of Puyallup increased its fine to $250 in an effort to match other jurisdictions contracted with Metro Animal Services, which operates a shelter in Puyallup.

Currently, the cities of Puyallup, Edgewood, Sumner Bonney Lake, Milton, Algona and Pacific contract with Metro Animal Services. In all cities except Pacific, being cited for having an animal in a vehicle in extreme weather is criminal and requires a mandatory appearance in court, said Metro Animal Services spokesman Mark Creley.

“Puyallup Ordinance No. 3159 was adopted by the City Council in the interest of preventing injury and cruelty to animals,” stated the city of Puyallup’s website. “According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), on a sunny summer day, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise 20 to 30 degrees in just 10 to 20 minutes. This means that the interior of your car or truck can quickly reach a temperature that puts your pet at risk of serious illness or death — even if the temperature outside strikes you as merely pleasantly warm.”

Police suggest people who come across an animal confined in a hot car assess the situation before taking any action.

The first thing to do is look for signs of distress in the animal, Puyallup police Capt. Ryan Portmann said.

Symptoms of heatstroke can manifest in animals as restlessness, heavy panting, dark tongues, vomiting or lack of coordination, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

If the animal is showing signs of distress, call police or local humane authorities before attempting to break a window to free the animal, authorities said.

“Only if a police officer or animal control officer does NOT respond should a citizen break a window to rescue an animal in distress (there could be civil liability for damages),” Creley said in an email. “They need to leave that to the professionals who can open the vehicle with tools that do not cause damage to the vehicle and also so they can note the conditions for filing charges.”

Breaking a window should be a very last resort and only employed if it appears the animal won’t survive the time it takes for help to arrive.

According to Metro Animal Services’ Animal in Vehicle enforcement, the agency has responded and taken action on six calls related to animals trapped in vehicles during inclement weather between January and June this year. That’s up from three calls in 2017, but down from 10 calls in 2016 and 17 calls in 2015 within the same time frame.

For the most part, the message to stop leaving animals in cars in hot weather seems to be getting across, said Creley. Metro Animal Services has been sharing it on social media and in its newsletters.

“This year has not been quite as bad as previous years,” Creley said. “I think the word is finally getting out there.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2018 at 8:00 AM.