There's a dog in our neighborhood that has a bad limp. I don't know the dog, or the people who it belongs to, but when I see it dragging a leg around I feel bad. It's just a dog. It's my understanding that this dog was hit by a car and didn't receive treatment. A human caretaker was negligent in their duties and now this poor animal is paying the price. There are people who have dogs that shouldn't be allowed. I've ranted about leash laws in the past and this morning I encountered another Dog-Owning-Dumb*ss on the interstate that made my blood boil.
I followed a pickup truck with an unsecured dog in its bed for several miles. I couldn't tell if the dog was excited or petrified as it ran from one side of the truck to the other each time the driver swerved or turned. The dog barked at other cars, hopped and jumped as if in a frenzy. It appeared to me that it couldn't get its footing and was, literally, bouncing from side to side in the truck bed.
I left a lot of room between my car and the truck because I was afraid the dog was going to jump or be thrown from the moving vehicle and I didn't want to be part of any resulting accident. Other drivers on the road, of which there were many, also appeared to be surprised that someone would drive in those conditions with that poor dog bouncing around in the back of their truck.
The transportation of unrestrained dogs in low-sided truck beds has been banned in several states, however, in the majority of jurisdictions it's not even illegal to transport children in this manner. So, unfortunately, we must rely on common sense and drivers' education to protect both children and pets. The ASPCA recommends that, when you see a dog loose and distressed in the back of a pickup truck, we should try to (safely) get the vehicle's license number and call the local police (not 911).
My insurance company tells me that, had that dog jumped from the truck and caused an accident, the driver of the truck could be held liable because it was clear that the dog belonged to him. A potential multi-car pileup resulting from that dog falling or jumping from his moving truck could have cost the driver dearly.
No matter how well-trained you think your dog is, it will fall out of a truck bed under any number of road conditions. It's one thing to let your dog ride down the lane to the barn at 5 miles per hour and another to make it try to stand safely as the truck speeds along the interstate.
Do you think it's ok to transport dogs in the back of pickup trucks?
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