Is It Illegal to Save a Dog from a Hot Car in Idaho?!

A viral post on the internet says you can break a window to save a dog from a hot car without facing legal charges, but is that really the case here in Idaho?

The viral post says you can take three steps to assure that you won't get in trouble with the cops, but that you can help save a dogs life.

It says you should

• take a picture of the dog
• pull up the weather for your area on your smartphone and screen shot it
• break the window and get the animal out

It claims that if you do this, you won't be charged with criminal damage and that it creates evidence to press animal cruelty charges against the dogs owner.

Is this really the case here in Idaho, police say NO.

According to KTVB, you can be charged with damaging the owner's property here in Idaho despite the circumstances.

They give this advice

• check with the business that the owner may be visiting first to see if they are inside
• call 911 or non-emergency dispatch

Animal control will respond any day when the weather is 70+ degrees. They say a car sitting in 70 degree weather outside can become 100 degrees inside within an hour. At 80 degrees the car will become 100 degrees within 10 minutes.

The owner can be charged with animal cruelty for leaving an animal in a hot car, just don't forget that you could be facing charges too if you break in to rescue.