Many dogs absolutely love the idea of a car ride, and most of them want to stay in the back of utes to see the world instead of sitting in the seat. However, driving a pickup truck with a dog in the back can be dangerous if they haven’t been properly restrained. Thousands of dogs are injured each year while traveling in the back of utes. They fall off the trays, attempt to jump from moving vehicles, are dragged along the side of vehicles after overbalancing, or suffer from heat stress after being left on trays with no shade.
“Anything can happen to an unrestrained dog. They can take fright, the ute may have to swerve suddenly to avoid a collision or slam on the brakes for the same reason. An unrestrained dog or incorrectly restrained dog simply has no chance. The dangers are even greater in the city where they can be thrown into and under oncoming traffic. It only takes a few extra minutes to do the right thing,” said Michael Beatty, the old spokesman of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Source: u/adinrichter
No matter what happens, when you own a pet, you have the responsibility to care for them. Therefore, when a person who goes by the name u/adinrichter shared a pic of a driver going 80 km/h with a dog in the ute, it sparked outrage among Reddit users. Most of them slammed the driver for not keeping the dog safe while others said it is a normal sight in some countries as long as the dogs are safely leashed and the speed limits are a bit lower. Here are some responses we would like to share with you! You can click here to see all comments.
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Source: r/IdiotsInCars
Before you load your dog into the back of your ute and head out on the road, you need to do everything you can to ensure your dog has a comfortable and safe ride. To avoid being injured, your dog should be caged or leashed when staying in the back of utes, tray backs, or trucks. It stops them from falling out or injuring themselves.
The RSPCA warns that dog owners can face stiff fines and possible imprisonment under the Animal Care and Protection Act (2001). Therefore, you should find out exactly what is legally required for you as a dog owner when you are riding with your dog.
Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below!