ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department on Tuesday shared an update on its response to calls involving pets being left in cars. So far this year, the department has received 370 calls. In 2023, the department received 594 calls.
While the concern is heightened if pets are left in vehicles during extreme heat or cold, the department advised animal owners that they should never leave their furry friends unattended.
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“My best recommendation would be don’t leave them in the vehicle at all. Even in the colder months because you don’t know what might happen. Maybe you leave your dog in the vehicle, you go into the store, and then something happens to you and you have to be taken away with, you know, an ambulance. So it’s best not to leave them,” said Erin McKay, a lieutenant with the Animal Welfare Department. “But definitely in the warmer months, the way our law is written is no amount of ventilation is sufficient.”
The department said they have responded to calls not just involving dogs, but cats too. If you do come across an animal that is left in a car and appears to be in distress, McKay said to call 911. If the pet does not appear to be in distress, people should call 311 to report it.
Signs of distress could include heavy panting, vomiting, excess saliva, and if the animal appears to have passed out or is lethargic.
When asked if someone should break a vehicle’s window if a pet in distress is inside, McKay said: “Contact us or the police department. That way, we’re the ones that can do it. We can do it if we feel that the animal is in, you know, dire need and may die from being left in the hot vehicle. You know, there’s always a degree of risk if the citizen takes that upon themselves.”
McKay said depending on the situation, pet owners could be fined and/or criminally charged for leaving their pet in a vehicle. “So we can charge them for leaving an animal unattended in a vehicle, which is a petty misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine. We can also charge them with animal cruelty if the animal was in distress, suffered injuries, or died. And then we can also, you know, the police can charge them with felony cruelty as well,” McKay explained.
McKay explained that officers responding to an incident may also choose to educate owners instead if the animal is unharmed. To view the city’s animal ordinance, click here.
