Animal lovers in Tennessee are rejoicing thanks to a new law that went into effect at the beginning of the month.

Tennessee House Bill 537 allows anyone in Tennessee to break into a vehicle to save an animal that is trapped in a hot car and will be free of any civil liability.

In an email to The Huffington Post, the ASPCA's Chloe Watermans says,

The ASPCA strongly supports states giving law enforcement and Good Samaritans the ability to intervene to protect animals suffering in hot cars."

According to Nashville Fire Department Chief Mike Franklin, citizens will not be held liable if you save the life of an animal if you respond reasonably and as you would if you were saving a human life.

When it comes to rescuing animals from hot cars, some states are still trying to establish such laws and others vary from state to state. ASPCA's Chloe Waterman said,

It takes only minutes 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. If you see a dog at risk in a hot car, call 911 immediately."

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