We can often see dog owners keeping their canine companions in the back of the track while driving. It seems to be like a great idea to transport our dogs for shorter distances, but is it safe? The Protection Sports Association (PSA) warns that this is actually a huge mistake. American Humane also reports that almost 100,000 pets with most of them dogs, die every year because of this practice
Keeping the dogs in the truck beds make them extremely vulnerable. The main reason is there’s no real reliable method to strap them down and secure them to the truck. More than that, sometimes dogs have the tendency to jump out with disastrous consequences.
“The dog could see something and jump,” representative Steve Scherer from Quincy Animal Control told KHQA. “Most dogs are smart enough not to, though, but I would worry about getting in an accident – the dog’s going to be a projectile then. I would also worry about a dog being tethered in the back of a truck because it could jump over the side of a bed and hang itself.”
The wind and weather could also be dangerous while a dog is riding in the back of a pick up track. The wind puts a lot of pressure on a dog’s lungs, resulting in breathing issues. As about the weather, if there’s a hot summer day, the metal of the track could heat, resulting in burns.
Leashing the pet in the truck bed isn’t an option either. In case of a crash or car accident, dogs are completely helpless. In other words, you need to keep your pets inside of the vehicle at all costs.
As about the law, there isn’t a national law that prohibits people from transporting dogs or other pets in a truck bed. However, in five states including Connecticut, New Hampshire, California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island this practice is illegal.
After all, our pets are just like our children. So when it come to take them for a ride, just keep them as safe as possible!
