stupid tennessee (vent kinda)

[Jetta_Pup]

:o :evil:
State senators decided Monday that dogs can continue riding free in the backs of pickup trucks in Tennessee.

They voted down a bill that would have created a misdemeanor offense, punishable with a $50 fine, for allowing a dog to ride unrestrained in the truck bed.

Sponsors said they were trying to protect the animals and motorists. But lawmakers -- particularly from rural areas of the state -- were highly critical.

The companion bill already had been withdrawn in the House because of opposition.


4/13/2004 5:33:29 AM
Reporter: Associated Press Copyright
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[Guest Anonymous]

How sad that there needs to be a law. You'd think people would have enough common sense not to let their dogs ride in the back of a pickup. Just yesterday I saw kids (that's right human children) riding in the back of a pickup on the highway. Let's face it, there are a lot of really dumb people!

[courtnek]

Many people ride in the backs of pickups, for work related things. It;s not acceptable, in my opinion, unless you're on a rural road with little other traffic, like getting to a field. On the Highway? Absolutley not!! The difference in your litle rural road (30 mph tops) and your highway (55 legal, most people do 70) is an accident waiting for a place to happen!

It's illegal here to ride in the back of a pickup without seats, and seatbelts...


:o :o

[Horsefeathers!]

I'm only one state away (in GA) and I can just imagine the ruckus if they tried to outlaw dogs from riding in the bed of a pick'em up truck. It makes me cringe when I see it, but that's just the way these good ol' boys are. Part of that Southern guy thing is having a pick'em up truck and a dawg on the back of it (gotta be a guy dog like a Lab or a Rottie). One client we have actually bought a pull behind trailer so their oversized Rotties could ride on it. If that's not bad enough, I absolutely lose my breath (literally) when I see these dogs standing on the toolboxes on these trucks. OMG, these dogs are standing above the sides of the truck with NOTHING between them and the pavement. No railing, nothing. One wrong turn, one bump in the road and the dog is gone. It's quite common here, but I can never get used to seeing it. It just makes my heart stop.

I would be rich if I had a dime for every time we've seen a dog in our clinic that fell or jumped from the back of a truck. The owners ALWAYS say, "well, he's been riding like that for years and it's never been a problem before..." One stupid owner with a Cocker Spaniel spent a fortune having his dog patched up when he was thrown (or jumped) from the back of his truck. He didn't learn his lesson and as soon as the dog was able, he let him ride like that again. It happened a second time and the dog wasn't so lucky. He was killed.

You'd just think some things would be common sense. :-?

[Malamum]

Is the law to stop dogs being in the back of pickups (or utes as we call them :wink: ) full stop or just to have them restrained while in here.

Here it is the law for dogs to be securely restrained in the back of utes. Which I think is a good thing and really don't see why people would have a problem with that. Except if people are too lazy to take the 10 seconds to secure their dog????

However since it can get so hot here I also worry about the dogs being on the metal surface. I know in summer there are times when I burn my hands just from touching the steering wheel - imagine how hot the metal floor of an open truck would get. :-? :-?