Freeing Dogs Trapped In Hot Cars Is Now Legal In Tennessee

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Lately, there have been several stories of Good Samaritan humans going rogue to save pups trapped in hot cars.

A law recently passed in Tennessee decriminalizes the act of saving a dog from a boiling metal death-trap. Starting July 1st, Neighbarkhood Watch vigilantes springing a Spaniel or retrieving a Labrador won’t face criminal charges or jail time. The law is an extension of the state’s Good Samaritan law that allows citizens to break into a hot car if they see a child locked inside.

Sixteen states have legislation making it illegal to leave a dog in a car in extreme temperatures. (It’s also legal in Maine to free a pup who’s burning up.)

Nashville Fire Department Chief of Staff Mike Franklin said,

“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.”