A new US bill making it illegal for dogs and other animals to ride unrestrained inside a moving vehicle could soon be passed, it has emerged.
The bill has already been sponsored by Republican Tennessee representative Jim Cobb, who argues that it can be distracting and potentially dangerous for drivers to have a pet wandering around a car, and they should make use of dog guards, harnesses, and other equipment to keep their pets at bay.
Animals would have to be ‘secured in a harness or vehicle seat, confined in a box, or hard or soft sided travel crate, or held by a person’ in a front or back passenger seat. This would therefore include the use of seatbelts to stop pets moving around.
Mr Cobb is also hoping to ban drivers from having dogs sit on their lap while the car is moving.A spokesperson for Mr Cobb commented that the bill is designed to ‘make sure they [pet owners] don’t have it [the dog] in the lap as it can impair your driving ability.’This viewpoint has been supported by Jessie Medina, general manager of the US pet supplies store PETCO store in Bellevue, who told ABC2: ‘I understand where they’re [Mr Cobb] coming from because they [pet owners]want their animal to feel secure.
‘Dogs can get anxious and want to come up front and look out of the window. Pet parents underestimate the fact that these harnesses are going to save their dog’s life.‘It’s no different than their child or an adult who gets into an accident. They really need to have that dog in the seat strapped down. It’s an accident waiting to happen.’
It is only a matter of time before such bills become prominent in other states, and even countries like the UK. Installing dog guards inside vehicles will prevent these pets from entering the front half of the car, whilst dog beds or cages will help to restrain the animal and prevent it from moving around.