Leaving Dogs In Cars In Michigan Could Land You Up To Five Years In Prison Under New Senate Bills

Leaving dogs in cars in Michigan could soon land you up to five years in prison, according to a pair of new senate bills introduced this week.

According to Michigan Live, 16 states in the United States already have such laws in place, and animal-loving residents in the Midwestern state had been hoping that Michigan would pass a law that would make leaving an animal in a parked car illegal.

The new laws are being treated as a sign of victory for pro-animal advocates, who argue that all of the U.S. states should have similar laws in place to protect the lives of dogs and other animals.

In Michigan, the pro-animal advocacy reached a crescendo when a chihuahua died after being left in a hot car in Grand Rapids a few years ago. According to the existing laws at the time, the maximum charges the owner could face under other anti-animal cruelty statutes only added up to a $2,000 fine and up to one year in jail.

But new laws could mean that animal owners might face a hefty fine and a sentence if they are found culpable of leaving their pets in hot cars. Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-Lansing, said that the time is ripe for Michigan to begin treating its animals with more love and respect.

“We just think in situations where there is obvious potential harm that we shouldn’t be allowing that in Michigan,” he said.

Leaving dogs in cars could escalate into a felony under Senate bills https://t.co/6ATYR3DE79 pic.twitter.com/wTUn9jr4Xp

— MLive (@MLive) May 7, 2016

The new bill states that a person cannot “leave or confine an animal in an unattended motor vehicle under conditions that endanger the health or well-being of the animal, including, but not limited to, heat, cold, lack of adequate ventilation, lack of food or water, or other circumstances that could reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death of the animal.”

A first offense could mean that one would have to spend 45 days in jail along with having to pay a $350 fine. A second offense would be punishable by up to a $500 fine and/or up to 90 days in jail. The laws state that if leaving an animal in a car results in serious harm, the act will be punishable by up to a year in prison and/or up to a $1,000 fine. And if leaving an animal leads to its death because of suffocation, the animal owner could be sent to prison for up to five years, along with having to pay a fine of $5,000.

Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, a supporter of the move and a long-time advocate for introducing bills that protect animals, sponsored a companion bill establishing sentencing guidelines. According to Jones, the move was necessary because, in his experience, many times animal abusers turn out to be people abusers as well.

“I believe that we as a human race should be concerned about animal abuse. Animal abusers many times graduate to people abusers,” he said about the legislation.

Meanwhile, it appears that not only regular dog owners but even police officers have been culpable of animal deaths. According to the Weather Channel, at least 11 police dogs died of exhaustion last summer alone after being locked in hot squad cars for hours.

With the onset of summer in Michigan and amid soaring temperatures, the introduction of bills such as the ones protecting animals was not only deemed important by animal rights activists but absolutely necessary.

From now on, Michigan animal owners will have to be accountable for their actions, and hopefully other states will follow suit.

[Photo via Shutterstock]