The North Carolina state government has passed a bill that allows law enforcement officers or other rescue workers to break into a locked vehicle if they suspect there is an animal overheating inside.

The North Carolina state government has passed a bill that allows law enforcement officers or other rescue workers to break into a locked vehicle if they suspect there is an animal overheating inside.
The animal shelter bill is now going to be voted on by the state Senate, and if it passes there, the governor can sign it into law.

Around 14 states already have laws against leaving a car parked with a suffering animal inside, and most of those states also let an officer of the law use reasonable force to get into the vehicle.

The North Carolina legislation is being considered right after the program manager of the nonprofit company Eyes Ears Nose and Paws has been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty for leaving a golden retriever in a car with the windows rolled up in Carrboro.

The National Weather Service says that a parked car can reach temperature of up to 123 degrees in 60 minutes.

Cracking the windows is not enough to allow proper ventilation for an animal.

What do you think? Should law enforcement be able to break into a vehicle if there is a suffering animal inside?