State law written in IE supports recent Palm Desert dog rescue from hot car

A woman at a shopping center in Palm Desert June 1 took advantage of a 5-year-old California law that allows people to break car windows to save an animal suffering from heat.

The high temperature was 102 degrees in Palm Desert that day, and bystanders told a Riverside County Animal Services officer they witnessed an 8-year-old Pomeranian mix confined and unattended in a Chevy Colorado in the Shops at Palm Desert parking lot for about 45 minutes, according to a release from Animal Services.

The officer, Rebekah Reyes, responded to a call around 6 p.m., Animal Services said. On arrival she contacted her supervisor and told him a Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy was en route.

While she was on the phone, a bystander smashed one of the vehicle’s windows to liberate the dog.

The law

Her actions were exempted from criminal liability under AB 797, The Right to Rescue Act, written in 2016 by then-Assemblymember Marc Steinorth, whose representation comprised the majority of the Inland Empire.

Steinorth drafted the bill in response to statistics of hot-car animal deaths, he said by text June 8. The American Veterinary Medical Association says the annual numbers are in the hundreds.

Steinorth said the law passed without obstacle.

Under this law, a rescuer is not vulnerable to civil liability for property damage or trespass if the rescue was made reasonably and in good faith. The rescuer must immediately turn the animal over to a representative from law enforcement, animal control or other emergency agent who responds to the scene, as the rescuer did in Palm Desert when she rescued the dog into Reyes’ care.

The danger

Reyes used a rectal thermometer to learn the dog’s temperature was 104.9 degrees, Animal Services said.

According to Elle Di Jensen, who writes about dog health for TheNest.com, Pomeranians are built for cold weather, and when their temperatures reach 105 degrees, shock can set in quickly, so swift reaction to heatstroke is vital to survival.

Riverside County’s staff veterinarian Luis Lizarraga said a 106-degree temperature can be fatal or cause such damage to a dog’s brain that the injuries are irreversible.

The dog was rushed to the VCA Valley Animal Medical Center & Emergency Hospital in Indio. Staff there diagnosed the dog with heatstroke, administered fluids and did blood work. Katy Nelson, veterinarian host of “The Pet Show With Dr. Katy,” puts dog mortality from heatstroke at approximately 50%.

The arrest

A Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy arrested the dog’s owner on suspicion of violating Penal Code Section 597.7 – leaving an animal in an unattended motor vehicle under conditions that would endanger the health or well-being of the animal.

The dog’s owner was released at the scene. She possibly faces a misdemeanor conviction and jail time, according to Animal Services.

She retrieved her pet June 2 after paying $1,033 in medical bills, according to Animal Services. Reyes said the owner admitted that she was wrong and hoped to learn from her mistake.

On June 8, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Inland Empire. It will remain in effect through Saturday, during which time the NWS expects daily highs from 98 to 103 degrees.

“Please choose to leave your four-legged family members at home on hot days,” Steinorth said. “They cannot sweat and the temperature of a car rises incredibly fast. Even hybrids and electric vehicles have air conditioning interruptions. Your choice could save their lives.”

Interior car temperature over time