Pets in camper

[f5moab]

Originally Posted by Life Without Whine

So put in a request to my favorite person (who does the legal confiscation of the pets from closed vehicles down here in sunny Florida) and she just has the short list of items to act on .... can get the actual statute for any nonbeliever.


'If someone leaves their pet in a running car with A/C on, they can be in violation of Improper Transportation in a Motor Vehicle' to quote ... she says that if she finds herself in the situation described here she will leave a note on her windshield with the time she left the vehicle & exactly where she can be found (Bathroom, paying for gas....) but states that she could still be charged.


If you live down here you may have experienced some of these events .... just 10 days ago had one pup live & one died .... owner from out of state .... ignorance is no excuse and this is going forward under animal cruelty. Just because you can't find the law does not mean it doesn't exist .... fair warning all you snowbirds flooding in over the next couple months ....

I'll keep this going and asked questions since this info can be very important to anyone on this forum traveling through FL.

Closed vehicle? Although I question that, my original was is it illegal UNDER ANY circumstances to leave a pet in a vehicle. That would include a non-closed vehicle that has the two back windows open half to three quarters.

No insult or implied insult to any police on this forum, but many times they will tell you something that is not "legally" correct. (Cannot believe some of the things I have been told by officers in many states that were NOT illegal, but they did not like.) And let's understand, there are thousands of laws on the books in FL (as with all states and the US Gov't), and no one would expect any officer to know them all. Even prosecutors I have known refer to the statutes all the time to help in prosecuting and/or releasing a person from an arrest.

In regard to your statement, "Just because you can't find the law does not mean it doesn't exist" is VERY TRUE! But if it is NOT in the FL statutes, it is not a FL law; thus it is not a FL crime. However, local government entities have their own statutes, thus it could be local. But you did say FL in your original post and that's what I was questioning.

So yes, I would love to know the statute that states your original statement, “technically still illegal to leave a pet in vehicle even if running.” Even if it is a local statute (city/county) might still be interesting if someone is traveling through that area.

In regard to your newest statement about a running vehicle, that I never looked up, and not going too either. But would like the statute. Many states have laws against an unattended running vehicle.

As for the dog that was killed, if it is the story I read (University Mall), they did not leave any windows open, it was 91 degrees outside, which means the inside could easily be over 125 degrees and they were in the mall shopping for over an hour.
And their mug shots tell it all.....

Would hope that no one here would do something as stupid as that.

I believe most are like me, on occasion, during a hot month on a trip, what would happen if one minute after I left the vehicle to visit a rest room a LEO comes by and sees the dogs, and with the windows open and can tell they are NOT stressed, but would I still be in violation of a FL or FL county/city law?

[DobeFanatic]

I think the whole point here is that if you leave a dog in the car in Florida where the average daytime temp is 90+, windows open, or not, you risk someone feeling your animal's health is at risk and you risk a broken window if that's what it takes. The need to break a window here happens much too frequently, sad to say! It even happens with small kids left alone, sometimes with a motor running that could be put in gear!

[f5moab]

Nope!

[elind]

I just read a story where LEO had left his dog in his squad car for three hours. The problem was the A/C failed in his car and the dog over heated and died. Who gave him a citation?

[DobeFanatic]

Originally Posted by elind

I just read a story where LEO had left his dog in his squad car for three hours. The problem was the A/C failed in his car and the dog over heated and died. Who gave him a citation?

I totally agree with you, he should have been disciplined, didn't hear if he was or not.
I travel alone with two dogs and I know the risk I am taking but I only do it at rest rooms on the interstate out of sheer necessity. Windows are half down. The rest of the time I keep food in the TV or use drive in windows.
I forego a lot of tourist attractions along the way because of my situation.
It also limits me to CG's with shade when I would love to camp on a beach but too hot for the dogs.

[elind]

Just looked up the state laws about animals left in a vehicle. 16 states have laws for this and Florida is not listed. Pretty much this what the laws state:

Confine any animal in a motor vehicle in such a manner that places it in a life or health threatening situation by exposure to a prolonged period of extreme heat or cold, without proper ventilation or other protection from such heat or cold.

[Iwritecode]

The only times my dogs are in my vehicles is if we are going to/from our seasonal site or to/from the vet's office. Sometimes we'll bring them to my parent's house for a holiday gathering as well.

Other than that, they stay home. Then I never have to worry about leaving them while I'm shopping or eating or whatever.

Leave them with food, water and a few toys and they are usually pretty good. We have discovered that we have to lock up the garbage cans when we are gone though.

[Xhevoice]

Originally Posted by HONDAMAN174

My hard start cap blew up last week killing the ac until I could get another. We live in extreme climate so it was over 110 in trailer. We plan our trips around whether the kids will be comfortable or not cause they don't like the trailer. So anything over 85, they go to doggy hotel. Attachment 81209

Beautiful pooches. I love their eyes.

[Oaklevel]

The other problem in some areas while traveling there may not be a state law but there could be a local law.

I do not know if it is still on the books but in the 1980s Newport News Virginia passed a local law that dogs / pets could not ride unrestrained in open vehicles this included pickups and convertibles. Back then it really raised a stir because it was still legal by state law for people / kids to ride unrestrained in open pickups. Localities can not supersede state law. interesting where your kids could ride in open pickup beds but your pets could not. No longer the case though.