Dogs left in cars

MLive photographer Yffy Yossifor's dog in the car Wednesday, July 2. Pets left in cars in the summer are subject to various health risks and have prompted new legislation in the Senate. (Yfat Yossifor | The Bay City Times)

(Yfat Yossifor)

LANSING, MI -- Leaving Fido in the car with unsafe conditions would be illegal under a pair of Senate bills introduced this week, and someone who causes an animal death that way could face five years in prison.

Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-Lansing, said sixteen states already have similar laws surrounding dogs being left in cars.

"We just think in situations where there is obvious potential harm that we shouldn't be allowing that in Michigan," Hertel said.

So what would the rules be?

The bill language 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 would be punishable by up to a $350 fine and/or up to 45 days in jail. A second violation would be punishable by up to a $500 fine and/or up to 90 days in jail. If such confinement causes serious harm to an animal it's punishable by up to a year in prison and/or up to a $1,000 fine. And if the incident results in the death of an animal the punishment could be up to a $5,000 fine or 5 years imprisonment.

In a 2009 dog death case in Grand Rapids, in which a chihuahua died after being left in a hot car, the maximum charges available under other anti-animal cruelty statutes were up to a $2,000 fine and up to 1 year in jail.

Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, sponsored a companion bill establishing sentencing guidelines. It's one of several animal-related bills he has sponsors.

"I believe that we as a human race should be concerned about animal abuse. Animal abusers many times graduate to people abusers," Jones said in regards to the legislation.

An existing law governs leaving children in cars, and come with higher punishments; up to a $10,000 fine and/or 15 years in jail for those who violate the statute and cause the death of a child.

The bill numbers are SB 930 and SB 931. They have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Emily Lawler is a Capitol reporter on MLive's statewide Impact Team. You can reach her at elawler@mlive.com, subscribe to her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter: @emilyjanelawler.