By Derrick Nunnally
The Associated Press
OLYMPIA — A bill that makes it a civil offense to lock a pet in a car under dangerous conditions has won unanimous approval from the state Senate.
With little debate Friday morning, senators approved the bill 49-0 to expand Washington’s animal-protection laws. The measure now heads to the House for consideration.
If the bill becomes law, it would create a $125 fine for leaving an unattended animal in a car, or other enclosed space, where it might be harmed by heat, cold or lack of water or fresh air.
The bill also authorizes animal control officers and police to break in to rescue confined animals and clears them of liability for incidental property damage.
Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, the bill’s lead sponsor, said it “prevents some liability issues that might have prevented them from taking immediate action.”
Under the measure, people who leave an animal in a dangerous enclosed space could also be charged with animal cruelty, a felony offense, in addition to the fine.
The bill also expands the state’s ban on animal fighting from just dogs and roosters to all animals, and makes it a crime for an adult to cause a minor to commit animal cruelty or make animals fight.
It includes several exemptions for agriculture, rodeos and other legal animal-handling situations, and eliminates a loophole where existing state laws punish only the theft of animals worth less than $250 or more than $750.
“This bill will make a great stride in ensuring animals are treated humanely and fairly,” said Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle.
