A pet safety message from the District Attorney’s Office offered the following message: “Leaving an animal in a car for as little as five minutes can be hazardous to its health.”

With temperatures rising, the specially trained deputy district attorneys who prosecute animal cruelty cases in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office are on high alert, according to officials.

The forecast this week calls for temperatures to stay in the 90s throughout Santa Clarita.

Warm weather poses an immediate threat to animals left in cars since temperatures inside vehicles can drastically change. On average, car temperatures can increase by 19 degrees in 10 minutes, and as many as 33 degrees in 30 minutes.

Several recent legislative efforts have supported county prosecutors’ goals for pet safety.

Related story: Brown Signs ‘Hot Dog Bill’ To Protect Trapped Pets

In 2015, LADA trained mall security guards to be on the lookout for animals left in hot automobiles. The following year, the office co-sponsored Assembly Bill 797 that was later signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown. Also known as the “Right to Rescue” bill, the law allows an individual to forcibly enter a vehicle – after contacting law enforcement – to remove an animal in danger.

“It is never alright to leave a pet alone in a hot car – not when a window is left cracked open, not when the car is parked in the shade and not when you think you’ll be in the store for just a few minutes,” District Attorney Jackie Lacey said. “Leaving a dog alone in a hot car is a crime.”

The law furthers existing legislation enacted in 2006, which makes it illegal to leave a pet in a hot car. Current law allows for a peace officer or a first-responder “to take all steps reasonably necessary to remove an animal from a motor vehicle because the animal’s safety appears to be in immediate danger.”

The new law expanded the authorization to an average person, exempting them from “criminal liability for actions taken reasonably and in good faith to remove an animal from a vehicle under the circumstances (of it being trapped in a hot car), providing the person is “immediately turning the animal over to a representative from law enforcement, animal control, or other emergency responder who responds to the scene.”

Under state law, first-time offenders who leave an animal unattended in a vehicle can face a fine of $100. Repeat offenders can be fined $500 and sentenced to as much as six months in jail.

If an animal is harmed or dies, owners can be charged with felony animal cruelty and, if convicted, sentenced to as much as three years in prison.

As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!