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Groundbreaking new Tennessee law allows Good Samaritans to rescue dogs trapped inside cars without criminal charges

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People can now legally break into cars to save dogs in Tennessee.

With the time between a call for help and police rescue standing critical to a life trapped inside a car, the state of Tennessee has decided to uplift the power of Good Samaritans rescuing the trapped themselves. In the extension of the "Good Samaritan Law," effective July 1, people can now break into cars saving children and pets legally. However, there are certain steps they need to follow to assure they are covered by the groundbreaking law.

Highlights

By Hannah Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
7/9/2015 (8 years ago)

Published in Politics & Policy

Keywords: Good Samaritan Law, Tennessee, Dogs, Rescue, Police

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "If you act reasonably, as any reasonable person would respond, you will not be at fault to save a life. You will not be at any fault to save a life [and/or] animals," said Nashville Fire Department Chief of Staff Mike Franklin in an interview with WKRN.

The state decided to extend the law due to the number of dogs reported as dying because of the time lapse between the call for rescue and police response. People passing by are afraid of breaking into cars because of criminal charges that could be filed against them.

"It's good for folks to know that they have this ability to take action should a possible tragic event happen," said Tennessee Rep. David Hawk as he talked how House Bill 537 was conceptualized. The bill is the first of its kind, while there are 16 other states that have laws prohibiting animals left unattended in cars.

Animal rights groups cheered for the new law, noting that there are only a few minutes between life and death for pets subjected to extreme heat.

"The ASPCA strongly supports states giving law enforcement and Good Samaritans the ability to intervene to protect animals suffering in hot cars," said ASPCA's senior manager of state legislative strategy Chloe Waterman in an interview with The Huffington Post.  

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