Should dogs be required to be restrained, while riding in/on a vehicle?

The Vulcan Science Directorate has determined that if you just leash the dog in a car, a crash would simply break his neck and kill him. What should be required are special safety seats for dogs. It would create an entire new industry, create new jobs and be good for the economy.

Although I support the idea of keeping our animals safe, I am afraid that law would discourage people from having pets and/or traveling with them. My dog loves to ride with me on errands around the village, but if I have to strap her in every time, I simply wouldn’t bother, and she (and I) would be missing out.

I don’t think it should be legal for dogs to be in the back of pick-up trucks or on motorcycles.

Although I have seen many dogs in the back of pickup trucks, I have never seen one fall out. Does anyone know any statistics on that?

There are safety straps for dogs already. It is much safer for the person and the animal to be restrained while in a moving vehicle, especially during and accident, but I don’t even agree with the seat belt laws, so legislating dog safety is not my concern.

I think they should be kenneled when in the back of a pickup. There is already a law in place that says children can’t ride in the back of a truck but I see it all the time. I’ve seen several dogs fall from a truck and the owner jumps out (if they notice) and weep like it was an unexpected, unavoidable tragedy. It’s not.

@Silhouette Thanks. I agree that drivers with dogs loose in the bed of a truck should be ticketed.

Oh, yay. Something else for the local government to fine the general public over.

They steal enough of our money already, thanks, what with red-light cameras and seat belt laws – not to mention the ticketing process itself (you’re guilty until declared innocent by a judge – which isn’t likely, since the judge’s best interest is in collecting the fine).

@Seek_Kolinahr You are right. Screw the dogs. If they didn’t want to fall out of a truck, they shouldn’t have been owned by a redneck.

Yes, it is common sense.

I think people that leave their dog loose in the back of their Pick Up truck are asses.

It is not the local government’s job to enforce “common sense” by robbing families of their month’s grocery money for every perceived offense, in the middle of a recession.

Times are hard enough. If I have to choose between one dog falling out of a truck, or a trucker losing his job because of a bullshit ticket, I’m siding with the trucker.

@Seek_Kolinahr I sense you have had some trouble with the law. The dog is an innocent victim with no control over it’s life. The trucker is a thoughtless jerk with no sense of responsibility to the animal he adopted. Would it help if the trucker was independently wealthy with no family. Or a Big-Government Democrat that abuses his wife?

Absolutely not.

I believe our current laws are far too restrictive, and the penalties too high.

The governments aren’t even trying to hide it anymore – they have come out and said “We are no longer on your side. Serve and Protect has changed its meaning. It is our job to take your money, and here are all the ways we are going to do it.”

@Seek_Kolinahr Who are you quoting? In this instance ‘Protect’ also applies to the dog. Honestly, on a lot of issues I agree with you. The government should not be in the business of protecting people from their own stupidity. But the dog (or child) of a stupid person does deserve some protection.

I am not in favor of progressively restrictive laws that do not support a wholly safer public.

Such a law would cause more harm than good, and thus should not be implemented. I do not agree with taking away the public’s money for no good reason. Frankly – it’s a dog. In the event of a collision, the dog would be safer falling out of the truck, than being contained in a secured kennel and smashed by an overturned vehicle. On top of that, all of the owners that do not have or cannot afford kennels would be fined for that offense.

It’s a lose-lose situation. Unless, of course, you’re the Sheriff who was wondering how he was going to pay for another new company vehicle for himself.

yes it should but not neccesarily for the protection of the dog, in an accident a dog would become a very dangerous projectile, as far as governing common sense, its not that common that is why we have speed limits and seat belt laws….

Personally, I think dogs should be crated in vehicles.

@stump This reminds me of a discussion I had with this redneck guy once. His dog rode around in the back of his truck. I asked why the dog didn’t jump out. He said something like, “It’s an instinct not to!”
Not five minutes later, still discussing dogs, he mentioned that his sister’s dog had recently been killed. I asked what happened. He said, “The dog jumped out of the back of a pick up truck doing 60….”......Did I say anything about redneck up there? Yes. I did. Just making sure!

Be responsible for your pets! Carrier for your Dog/ Cat or a harness while in the car- You put your seat belt on, why not have one on your pet so both of you can survive a collision!

There is already a law in California that pets in open bed pick-up must be restrained, and the law specifies exactly what kind of restraint is required.

Any pet owner who has an ounce of responsibility will keep their pet in the specialized pet seat belts, or a crate inside a car, and no law should be necessary. Laws are made for people who do not possess their own sense, and need be forced to behave.

Restraining a dog in the car is definitely a good idea. If the driver gets into an accident, the dog basically becomes an airborne missile. A 10 pound dog may seem light, but if one hits a person in the back of the head at 60 mph, that person will be seriously injured or killed (not to mention what will happen to the dog).

With that said, I don’t think it should be required until effective, safe pet restraining systems are more readily available. I have never been able to find a car safety harness for my pets in my local Petsmart (but it could be that there just isn’t a good selection of pet supplies in that area).

@lonelydragon Ask the manager at Petsmart to place an order for your dog restraint harness, they will be glad to help you.