Villegas tries again to free dogs trapped in parked cars

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Even with the windows cracked, the inside of a car can get dangerously hot very quickly on a sunny day. | Sun-Times file photo

The dog-loving chairman of the City Council’s Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday tried again to prevent dogs from being trapped in parked cars with the windows closed.

Four months after introducing a similar crackdown only to have it stall in committee, Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) introduced two new ordinances aimed at satisfying legal concerns raised by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Law Department.

The first ordinance would make it a crime — punishable by fines up to $1,000 — to “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.”

The proposal would also empower “any person, animal control officer or law enforcement officer who reasonably believes” an animal is in danger to “forcibly enter” the vehicle to rescue the animal — but only after calling 911 or Animal Care and Control and determining whether the vehicle doors are unlocked.

Villegas also introduced a companion ordinance to shield those he calls “Good Samaritan rescuers of confined animals in unattended motor vehicles.”

It states: “Any person who, acting in good faith, rescues an animal confined in an unattended motor vehicle … shall not, as a result of his or her acts, be subject to any adverse action” by the city.

With those changes requiring rescuers to call 911 and try opening the doors before breaking into a vehicle, Villegas said he hopes the ordinance will finally be approved by the City Council.

Seventeen states already have laws allowing Good Samaritans to help free an animal stuck in a hot car without incurring liability.

“I worked with the mayor’s legal team to make sure that they were comfortable with everything and we didn’t open up a can of worms,” Villegas said Wednesday.

“We’re making sure that someone who’s acting for the betterment of the animal is not gonna be penalized by freeing that animal from a hot car or a vehicle that’s freezing.”

Over the years, public-service campaigns have tried to impress upon pet owners the dangers of leaving their animals locked up in a car.

Still, Villegas said he has walked past too many parked cars with the windows closed and a dog inside, yelping to get out. He’s also seen videos of similar abuse posted on social media.

The alderman is not suggesting that Chicago Police officers preoccupied with more serious crimes will run around breaking into cars, freeing dogs and issuing citations.

He’s simply hoping that the mere passage of the ordinances will send a message to irresponsible dog owners.

“Just because dogs have fur doesn’t mean you can keep them outside all day. And you can’t keep `em in vehicles with no heat on,” Villegas said.

“During the summer time, there is a big issue with this. In order to get people to understand this is a serious issue, there has to be some kind of recourse. Once a couple people get penalized for this, the message is gonna come across that you need to be responsible.”

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