Texas 'hot dog' bill aims to protect people who break into cars to save overheated animals

A new bill has been filed to protect people who break into cars to rescue household animals. A new bill has been filed to protect people who break into cars to rescue household animals. Photo: Photo Courtesy Rebecca Hennes Photo: Photo Courtesy Rebecca Hennes Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close Texas 'hot dog' bill aims to protect people who break into cars to save overheated animals 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

You shouldn't have to pay for damaging someone's vehicle if you were trying to rescue a household animal trapped inside, according to one Texas lawmaker.

State Rep. Celia Israel recently filed a bill that would eliminate the civil liability for people who damage cars while trying to save pets. Her team is calling it the "hot dog" bill, and it's something the representative has been trying to get passed since the last legislative session.

Israel's chief of staff, Justin Perez, said people typically aren't held responsible for damage during a rescue attempt, but not until they fork over some legal fees.

"We don't want a good Samaritan to not do the right thing," he said.

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The new bill adds on to legislation passed during the 85th legislative session that protects people who break into cars to rescue "vulnerable individuals," including the elderly and children.

Israel tried to include protections for animal rescuers during that session, but some lawmakers were confused about whether it included livestock, Perez said. At the time, she dropped the "animal" part of the bill because she "didn't want to take up time on the house floor," Perez said.

The 2019 bill mostly targets people who leave their animals in their car on a hot day — a familiar trend in Texas. Perez said Texas has the highest rate of vehicular heat stroke in the country, claiming the lives of 107 children from 1998 to 2016.

On a 90-degree day, temperatures inside a car with windows rolled up can reach 116 degrees in fewer than 10 minutes, he said.

While the bill would give people the ability to forego financial responsibility for the damage, it includes some caveats.

Anyone who breaks into a car to save an animal would have to notify police and wait for them to arrive on the scene. This helps ensure a more thorough investigation, Perez said.

"We're bringing back a bill that we know should have passed," Perez said.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message

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