Cats or Dogs Left in Standing or Parked Vehicle
Summer is now officially here, and the weather is hot and humid in Southern Maryland. It only takes a few minutes for the interior of a vehicle to become extremely hot, quickly endangering any animals left inside.
Sec. 21-1004.1 (a) Endangering health of animal prohibited. A person may not leave a cat or dog unattended in a standing or parked motor vehicle in a manner that endangers the health or safety or the cat or dog.
(b) Use of reasonable force to remove animal from vehicle. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a person may use reasonable force to remove from a motor vehicle a cat or dog left in the vehicle in violation of the provisions of this subsection (a) of this section if the person is:
(1) a law enforcement officer;
(2) a public safety employee of the state or of a local governing body;
(3) an animal control officer under the jurisdiction of the state or a local governing body;
(4) an officer of a society or association, incorporated under the laws of this state, for the prevention of cruelty to animals
(5) a volunteer or professional of a fire and rescue service
(c) Exceptions – A person may not use force of any kind to remove from a motor vehicle:
(1) a dog used by the state or a local government body for police work while the dog is on duty; or
(2) a cat or dog in the custody of an animal control officer.
(d) Liability – A person described in subsection (b) of this section may not be held liable for any damages directly resulting from actions taken under the provisions of subsection (b) of this section.
The fine for endangering the health, safety and welfare of a cat or dog by leaving the cat or dog in an unattended motor vehicle is $70.
