According to the sheriff’s office, a five-year-old child and a dog were found alone inside a pickup truck at a Family Fare parking lot with the windows barely cracked while the outside temperature reached 82°F – conditions that made the interior feel even hotter.

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The child and dog endured approximately 15 minutes in the oven-like confines before concerned bystanders called for help, prompting charges of child abuse and animal cruelty against the mother and her boyfriend, according to WNEM. The sheriff said there were no injuries to the child or dog. This alarming episode underscores the critical need for awareness and preventive measures to ensure the safety of those we care for most.

Michigan can prosecute pet endangerment as animal cruelty.

Every summer, heartbreaking stories emerge about dogs left in sweltering cars – and sadly, some don’t make it out alive. While Michigan doesn’t have a law specifically banning leaving animals in hot cars, that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all.

Under the Michigan Penal Code, if a person knowingly or recklessly exposes an animal to harmful conditions – like the oven-like interior of a parked car in the summer – they can be charged with a felony under animal cruelty statutes. That could mean up to four years in prison, a $5,000 fine, and community service depending on the severity of the offense.

Michigan law leaves dog rescuers legally exposed.

But in Michigan, trying to save a dog in a hot car has a catch: regular citizens aren’t legally protected if they break a window to rescue a dog. Michigan has no “Good Samaritan” law to save pets in hot cars like other states do. A 2018 bill aimed at providing immunity for rescuers stalled and never passed. That means if you smash a window to save a panting pup, you could still be slapped with criminal or civil charges.

if you see a dog in danger, there are several ways to try to rescue the animal. That includes recording the vehicle’s make, model and license plate and notifying a manager or security guard of a nearby business to ask them to make an announcement. If an owner can’t be found, call 911 or a local non- emergency number and wait next to the vehicle until help arrives.

Smoke gets in their eyes (and lungs).

But scorching cars aren’t the only summer threat to dogs – wildfire smoke from Canada is also a concern for pets. This year’s wildfire smoke is blanketing Michigan with thick haze and triggering multiple air quality alerts – but it’s not just bad for people. Vets are warning that smoke inhalation can irritate pets’ lungs, especially dogs with short snouts like pugs and bulldogs. Symptoms may include: coughing or wheezing, trouble breathing, eye irritation, lethargy or disorientation.