Pet Owners May Face Charges for Leaving Pets in Extreme Temperatures

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner recently received legislation from Illinois lawmakers that would punish pet owners for leaving their pets in extreme hot or cold weather.The senate approved the bill last month, and just last Tuesday it was approved by the house.

The bill would make it a misdemeanor to leave pets in extreme temperatures, with fines up to $2,500 and up to a year of jail time.

Galesburg Animal Medical Center Owner Dr. Pete Plescia says this can be very damaging to pets.

Dr. Plescia tells WGIL Galesburg Live that the center gets some heat-stressed animals during these summer months when owners expect to be away from the pets for just a short time.

“It can be very dangerous for dogs to be in extremely high temperatures, or low temperatures, for that matter,” says Dr. Plescia. “We see a fair amount of heat-stressed dogs, because people just are not thinking about it. Most of the time they say, ‘I’m just going to leave the dog for a few minutes’.”

Dr. Plescia says it is very important to make sure pets have clean, fresh water available to them.