Toward the end of last year, California finally made it a law to protect citizens who, in good faith and after exhausting all other options to no avail, break into hot vehicles to rescue a dog. Since the law has gone into effect, there have been few incidences where such action needed to take place. Now, summer is here and for the first time since the law went into effect, the temperatures will consistently top 70 and 80 degrees daily. This means that more dogs are vulnerable to being left alone in a hot vehicle while their owner runs an errand.

There are certain steps and conditions in order for the individual, who broke into the car, to be protected from criminal charges. This person first must be certain that there is no way of opening the vehicle without breaking in...