TN Lawmakers Considering Bill Changing the Law%2

A new bill could let you break into cars to help an animal inside, without being liable for the damage. As it stands, people who spot animals left in cars must call police and wait until an officer arrives to rescue the animal. It's McKamey Animal Center's responsibility to respond to those calls, though there are only a handful of Animal Control officers to patrol the entire city. "We get calls about dogs in hot cars very frequently. Starting around this time, normally two or three per day," says McKamey's Director of Field Services, Tiffany Newcomb. The National Highway Transportation Safety Agency says even days in the 60s can be deadly for animals left in vehicles. Within minutes, the temperature inside can ride to more than 110 degrees. The new legislation allows someone to break in without assistance from police, and they won't be held responsible for the damage to the car. "Passing this bill would be huge for the animals. For their safety. It only takes a matter of minutes for the heat to rise in a car on a warm day, so an animal could suffer a heat stroke and eventually die," says Bob Citrullo, Director of Humane Educational Society. If passed, there are a few rules. The person must call and notify police, use as little force as possible, and leave a note for the car and pet owner. They also must wait with the pet until a police officer arrives. Local animal organizations say these are simple rules to follow, especially when it could make the difference between life and death. "If they can get to that dog a lot quicker than we can, because we don't have a lot of man power, then they could save that dog. Within ten minutes, you could help that dog," says Newcomb. Citrullo adds, "We don't want to see animals dying from this, so it's very important we support this." This will be decided by the full membership of both chambers. The Senate began deliberation at 4 p.m. CST. The House is scheduled to start one hour later. Depend on us to update you as we learn more. By: Kelsey Bagwell