Risking Pets On The Highway
Please excuse me while I rant for a little bit. Today I saw something that I witness from time to time and it really bothers me both as a pet owner and a vet: dogs riding in the bed of a pickup truck on the highway.
One of the first times I really noticed this was many years ago when I saw a truck going down an eight-lane interstate. There was a lab sitting on top of the tool box behind the cab of a fully-laden pickup traveling at around 80 mph. Today it was a German shepherd standing up and walking around in a mostly-full truck bed going around 70 mph. Whenever I see this I cringe and want to make the driver pull over and take their dog inside the cab with them.
This is a huge risk for injury! Yes, most dogs will probably stay in the back and be okay, which is what lulls people into a false sense of security. Dogs don't have the cognitive reasoning to be able to think about what harm would happen if they jumped out of a moving vehicle. They may realize some danger and try to avoid it, but a strong enough stimulus could cause them to make the leap. The other risk is if the driver of the truck suddenly has to swerve or slam on breaks to avoid a road hazard or other vehicle. Such a sudden move could send the dog out of the truck and onto the highway or into another vehicle. Even if the dog is secured by a leash, there could be a risk of it falling over the side while still being attached, causing it to be dragged or strangled. In any of these circumstances we have a deadly situation. If the dog jumps or falls onto a busy highway going at high speeds that dog will die.
I simply don't understand why people take these sorts of risks. They would never consider doing that with one of their children, so why do they do it with their pet?
One of the first times I really noticed this was many years ago when I saw a truck going down an eight-lane interstate. There was a lab sitting on top of the tool box behind the cab of a fully-laden pickup traveling at around 80 mph. Today it was a German shepherd standing up and walking around in a mostly-full truck bed going around 70 mph. Whenever I see this I cringe and want to make the driver pull over and take their dog inside the cab with them.
This is a huge risk for injury! Yes, most dogs will probably stay in the back and be okay, which is what lulls people into a false sense of security. Dogs don't have the cognitive reasoning to be able to think about what harm would happen if they jumped out of a moving vehicle. They may realize some danger and try to avoid it, but a strong enough stimulus could cause them to make the leap. The other risk is if the driver of the truck suddenly has to swerve or slam on breaks to avoid a road hazard or other vehicle. Such a sudden move could send the dog out of the truck and onto the highway or into another vehicle. Even if the dog is secured by a leash, there could be a risk of it falling over the side while still being attached, causing it to be dragged or strangled. In any of these circumstances we have a deadly situation. If the dog jumps or falls onto a busy highway going at high speeds that dog will die.
I simply don't understand why people take these sorts of risks. They would never consider doing that with one of their children, so why do they do it with their pet?
0 Response to "Risking Pets On The Highway"
Post a Comment