I had a HUGE fight yesterday in (the dreaded he!!) Walmart (that I keep swearing that I'm going to stay out of....yet can't seem to learn my lesson) over just this! I was in the garden department looking at flowers and I heard barking coming from a car somewhere in the parking lot. Under my breath I said"OMG who's got a dog locked in their car". This POS dirtbag says "he's mine so mind your own God... business". Then the fight began.....he told me that it's his dog and he could do "whatever the f^ck he wanted to do" and they leave the dog in the car ALL THE TIME and he's just fine!
Then his wife jumped in and started yelling at me. I told him it was unsafe and illegal to keep your dog locked inside a hot car on an 80+ degree day and that I was calling he cops. His response was f^... You b...itch I've lived here for 30 years and you can't tell me what to do.......as if the length of time you reside in a given area give you certain privledges to break laws. So my foul mouth ran and I called him a POS f^... hillbilly scumbag (whoops) that didn't deserve to own an animal. But he headed to his car so I opted not to call the cop and I headed to the register shaking mad. As I was paying for my flowers his wife showed up behind me and made a comment about not being long and it was NBD. I'd had enough and didn't turn around but told her to shut her (whoops) mouth.
Here's the thing about this entire incident. I wouldn't have had a problem with leaving the dog in the car and being 50' away while shopping outside if they had left the car running with the air running. When I got into my car the thermostat on my mirror said 98°. He was still sitting with the dog while his wife was inside but he didn't allow the dog out of the Old Caravan.....reason I mention the type of car is that the only windows that really open are the front. Poor dog
Not one Walmart employee called a manager or offered any assistance to me during this screaming fight....on my way out I went up to the girl watering plants and asked why she didn't call for help. She ignored me! Like I hadn't even spoken to her. I'm still mad about her attitude.
Here's IL Law:
Illinois 510 ILCS 70/7.1 Any animal Confine any animal in a motor vehicle in such a manner that places it in a life or health threatening situation by exposure to a prolonged period of extreme heat or cold, without proper ventilation or other protection from such heat or cold.
A person convicted of violating this Section is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
A second or subsequent violation is a Class B misdemeanor.
An animal control officer, law enforcement officer, or Department investigator has authority to enter such motor vehicle by any reasonable means under the circumstances after making a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other person responsible.