It's a disturbing trend that too often occurs during hot weather: children and animals being left in hot cars with the windows shut. Obviously this act is rarely done on purpose with cruel intentions, but it does happen nonetheless. The consequences can be tragic, to say the least. Many US states have passed laws that allow people to break into cars, even by smashing the windows if need be, if they see children stuck inside during extreme heat. But what about trapped dogs?

Should someone be charged with a crime for attempting to save an animal from death? Tennessee doesn't think so. It has just joined 16 other US states in passing a law that allows people to break into hot cars if they see an animal trapped inside –without any fear of punishment. The new Tennessee law is actually an extension of its existing Good Samaritan law that already protected those saving children. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), "it takes only a minute for a pet to face death – on a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can reach 160 degrees, even with the windows cracked."