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June 12, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 19 Tips to outsmart bugs in your home Help dogs in hot cars this summer How to (Legally) Help Dogs in Hot Cars This Summer As summer approaches and tem- peratures rise, the danger of pets dying because negligent owners left them in a hot car grows as well. Even on a day when it's 70 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car with all the windows closed can hit 90 degrees in just 10 minutes. On a hot day, the temperature inside a closed car can shoot as high as 116 degrees in the same amount of time. In May 2017, Governor Doug Du- cey signed into law HB2494, a bill that aims to end hot-car deaths and allow Good Samaritans to take ac- tion without risk of civil liability if they rescue a child or a pet from a hot car. The bill was sponsored by Senator John Kavanagh, a longtime animal- welfare advocate who drafted the legislation with the support of the Humane Legislative Coalition of Arizona – a group that includes the Animal Defense League of Arizona, the Arizona Humane Society, Hu- mane Society of Southern Arizona and Humane Voters of Arizona. The Humane Society of the United States and local advocates are also in sup- port of the legislation. This measure was endorsed by the Arizona Chap- ter of the American Academy of Pe- diatrics and the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association. HB2494 Provisions A person who uses reasonable force to remove a child or domestic ani- mal from a locked motor vehicle is not liable for damages in a civil ac- tion if they comply with the follow- ing conditions: 1. The rescuer has a good faith belief that the confi ned child or pet is in imminent danger of suffering phys- ical injury or death unless they are removed from the vehicle. 2. The rescuer determines the car is locked or there is no reasonable manner in which the person can re- move the child or pet. 3. Before entering the vehicle, the rescuer notifi es the proper authori- ties (defi ned). 4. The rescuer does not use more force than is necessary under the circumstances to enter the vehicle. 5. The rescuer remains with the child or pet until the authorities ar- rive. "Every year, local police and our Emergency Animal Medical Tech- nicians™ respond to dozens of calls of children and pets left in hot cars," said Dr. Steven Hansen, CEO of the Arizona Humane Society. "This law allows us to be able to direct the caller to take action, immediately, without exposing the Good Samari- tan to liability for breaking a win- dow and potentially saving a life." Calls about children and animals in distress begin long before Arizona's infamous summer sets in. In fact, two years ago, a two-year-old Shih- Tzu was seized by Phoenix Police af- ter being left in a hot car. Although it was only April, the day's tempera- ture had reached 97 degrees and when Aurra arrived at AHS' Second Chance Animal Trauma Hospital™, she was dehydrated, dirty and pan- icked. Aurra was so shaken from her ordeal that it took weeks of one- on-one training with AHS' behav- ior team to help her learn to trust again. Fortunately, she didn't have any lasting physical effects from her ordeal and was adopted into a lov- ing family who promises to never leave her in a car again. To learn more visit www.azhumane. org. (StatePoint) If you have bugs in your home -- as many households do and the majority worry about -- there may be good reasons for this. Insects are resilient, strategic and way smarter than you may realize. But before dealing with insect invasions, it's helpful to understand what you're up against. These surprising bug facts can help you better understand common opponents: • Cockroaches have the capacity to memo- rize and learn -- and they may just use those smarts to remember the layout and contents of your kitchen, including hid- ing spaces! But even without their heads, cockroaches are fairly formi- dable -- decapitated, they can sur- vive for weeks. • Once an ant knows where food is located, it'll leave a scented trail to guide others to the source. Ants help each other out in other ways, too. Certain ant species have been ob- served linking their bodies together to build ladders, chains, walls and even rafts that fl oat in water. • If your fl y-swatting skills leave something to be desired, don't feel bad. Flies can detect danger from all angles and can react four times faster than humans. Ninety-three percent of respon- dents said that they're concerned with having bugs inside their home in a recent survey conducted by Zevo -- a maker of bug killer sprays that are safe for use around people and pets when used as directed. Survey respondents also said they see more bugs in their homes as the weather warms. In another recent survey, more than eighty-fi ve percent of people expressed some level of safe- ty concern with using traditional in- secticide sprays inside the home. According to experts, you don't have to trade one worry (bugs) for another (traditional bug sprays). So how should you deal with creeping, crawling and stinging invaders? Take a fresh approach to home in- sect control that you can feel good about with these safe extermination tips: • Keep common entry points like doors, windows and garages closed. Need a cross-breeze? Install screens on doors and windows. • Seal cracks around window and door frames, which are both entry points and hiding spaces for bugs. • Don't stack fi rewood or scrap wood next to your house -- bugs love these havens. • Avoid leaving food around af- ter meals. Make a habit of prompt clean-ups. • For bugs you see, use a spray that doesn't contain harsh chemicals, such as Zevo Instant Action Spray. Its active ingredients are essential oils that target nerve receptors ac- tive only in insects, so you (and your pets) don't need to leave the room after spraying, as you would with traditional insecticide. Just spray on the roach, ant, fl y, wasp or other pesky bug, and wipe up after use. • For the bugs you don't see, use chemical-free traps in areas heavily traffi cked by bugs. Those from Zevo, which plug into outlets around the home, use multi-spectrum light technology and a body heat at- tractant that mimic nature's most primal powers of attraction. Try to reduce competing light around the traps. Though they work 24/7, fl y- ing insects will fi nd the traps espe- cially enticing at night. Bugs are smart, but with some new strategies, you can safely outsmart them. PHOTO SOURCE: (c) Brit- tany Shue, @withlovemama

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