Can You Break A Window To Save A Dog In A Hot Car In Iowa?

After a rough winter and a strange spring, it finally is starting to feel like summer! With these warmer temperatures and some heat waves that are expected to be rolling through this month, it's important to take care of yourself AND your furry friends!

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The National Weather Service recently sent out a warning saying that there will be "dangerous" heat that will hit in the Midwest to Southeast midweek. These record-setting temperatures will also bring with them some flooding and severe thunderstorms.

As these temperatures start to climb, you should remember to take care of yourself. Drink lots of water and just slather that sunscreen on.

Not only do you need to watch out for yourself, but also watch out for your pets. Summer temperatures can sometimes be dangerous for animals. According to the ASPCA, pets can dehydrate much faster than humans can, so it's important to keep them cool, give them clean water, and NEVER leave them alone in a parked vehicle.

Not only is it just straight up wrong to leave these furry friends unattended (in my opinion), but it's illegal in more than half of U.S. states, according to Animal Law online.

31 states actually have some sort of law or laws that either prohibit someone from leaving an animal in a car in "dangerous conditions" and/or protect someone who rescues an animal from inside of a vehicle.

In most cases, these pieces of legislation cover cases in which the animal must be "confined or unattended in a parked or stationary vehicle." Some state laws require people to make sure that the vehicle is locked and that breaking in to the vehicle is the ONLY way to save the animal.

So, 31 states have these laws...is Iowa one of them?

No, there is no law that prohibits owners from leaving their pets in a hot car nor one that protects a good passerby from rescuing the animal.

However, there is some good news! There are local ordinances in some states that can protect these individuals or that prohibit pet owners from leaving their domestic animals in vehicles.