GOOD SAMARITAN

Category: Animal Cruelty

AT A GLANCE

Public Act 18-164 expanded Connecticut’s existing Good Samaritan law to protect people who rescue animals, not just children, from passenger motor vehicles when the animal is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. If certain legal requirements are met, the rescuer has an affirmative defense against civil liability and criminal prosecution for entering the vehicle.

A DEEPER DIVE

Prior to this law, Connecticut’s Good Samaritan protections applied only to children trapped in motor vehicles. Public Act 18-164 recognized that animals face the same potentially fatal dangers from extreme heat and cold.

The law allows a person to enter another person’s passenger vehicle—including by force—when they reasonably believe an animal is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury. To qualify for legal protection, the rescuer must:

Reasonably believe immediate entry is necessary.
Use only the amount of force reasonably necessary.
Notify law enforcement or another public safety agency within a reasonable period of time.
Take reasonable steps to ensure the animal’s safety after removing it.

The law does not protect someone whose actions constitute gross, willful, or wanton negligence, nor does it eliminate liability for harm caused beyond the rescue itself. AN ACT CONCERNING RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES REGARDING THE MOTOR VEHICLE ST.pdf

WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY DO?

Imagine you walk through a parking lot on a hot summer afternoon and see a dog inside a vehicle, panting heavily, collapsing, or otherwise showing signs of heat distress.

If you reasonably believe the animal is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury, Connecticut law provides an affirmative defense against civil damages and criminal penalties if you enter the vehicle—including by force—to rescue the animal, as long as you meet all of the law’s requirements. Any force used must be no more than reasonably necessary under the circumstances.

The law is intended to protect people who act in genuine emergencies while also setting clear safeguards against unnecessary or reckless damage to private property.

In this way, the law balances respect for private property with the need to protect an animal facing a potentially life-threatening emergency

WHAT'S MISSING?

While this law provides important legal protection for rescuers, it still has limitations.

It applies only when an animal faces imminent danger of serious bodily injury, a legal standard that may be difficult for some bystanders to interpret.
It creates an affirmative defense, meaning a rescuer could still be arrested or sued and may need to assert the defense in court.
The law does not require motorists to rescue an animal, nor does it establish additional penalties for leaving animals unattended in dangerous conditions.

Greater public education is also needed so residents understand both the dangers of leaving animals in vehicles and the legal protections available to those who intervene.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Connecticut has taken an important step by recognizing that animals deserve emergency protection similar to children when trapped in dangerous conditions.

Future improvements could include:

Creating immunity from arrest or civil suit—not just an affirmative defense—for rescuers acting in good faith.
Providing clearer statutory guidance on what constitutes imminent danger.
Increasing public education about the dangers of leaving animals in vehicles, particularly during extreme temperatures.
Strengthening penalties for individuals who knowingly leave animals in life-threatening conditions.

WHERE IT LIVES IN CONNECTICUT LAW

RELEVANT PUBLIC LAWS

PA 18-164 §16 (2018) — Good Samaritan Protection for Animals in Vehicles

RELEVANT GENERAL STATUTES

CGS § 52-557u — Entering the passenger motor vehicle of another to remove a child or animal. This is the primary Good Samaritan statute.

CITATIONS

1.

Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 18-164, An Act Concerning Recommendations by the Department of Motor Vehicles Regarding the Motor Vehicle Statutes, § 16 (2018).

2.

Connecticut General Statutes § 52-557u. Entering the passenger motor vehicle of another to remove child or animal from vehicle. Affirmative defense against civil damages and criminal penalties.

3.

Connecticut General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research. Public Act Summary for PA 18-164, discussion of § 16, Affirmative Defense for Entering a Vehicle to Remove an Animal.

TOP

1.

1. Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act 18-164, An Act Concerning Recommendations by the Department of Motor Vehicles Regarding the Motor Vehicle Statutes, § 16 (2018).

2. Connecticut General Statutes § 52-557u. Entering the passenger motor vehicle of another to remove child or animal from vehicle. Affirmative defense against civil damages and criminal penalties.

3. Connecticut General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research. Public Act Summary for PA 18-164, discussion of § 16, Affirmative Defense for Entering a Vehicle to Remove an Animal.