Fido was never meant to travel at 100 km/h
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...86681-sun.html
Mon, March 24, 2008
Let's face it: Fido was never meant to travel at 100 km/h, which is why Bylaw Bill is hitting the streets to crack down
UPDATED: 2008-03-24 03:41:08 MST
By MICHAEL PLATT
Blame the dogs if you like -- between flapping tongues, flying slobber and tails spinning like propellers, riding in the back of master's F-150 appears to be a source of unbridled canine joy.
There are many things that make a dog giddy, but while chasing a stick or sniffing an unsuspecting crotch remain legal, riding unharnessed in the back of a pick-up truck is against the law, and has been for the past five years.
The dogs aren't supposed to know this, but their owners are -- and Calgary's Bylaw and Animal Control department says reports of mutts riding in the back of trucks has been a major source of citizen complaints this spring.
"We've had lots of people phoning in, turning in licence plate numbers after seeing dogs in the back of pick-up trucks," said Bill Bruce, Calgary's chief bylaw officer.
The result: Bruce has ordered a crackdown on dogs riding in the back of pick-ups.
Dogs may sulk if forced to forgo their ride in the back, but truck owners would be wise to heed Bruce's warning.
As far as city bylaws go, it's an expensive rule to ignore.
Letting Rover roam around in the back of a moving truck will cost the driver $500 -- and Bruce says he has told his officers to patrol the roads looking for unsecured dogs, and to fine anyone found in violation of the bylaw.
"It comes down to an animal health and safety issue -- it is a crackdown, and we'll be out looking," said Bruce.
The bylaw preventing dogs from riding in pick-ups was passed in 2003, six years after the tragic death of a high school student resulted in people being banned from the beds of trucks.
The dog bylaw was approved after the Humane Society collected a 10,000-signature petition asking animals be protected, while presenting city council with evidence of horrific injuries suffered by dogs thrown from trucks, including broken bones and severe "road rash."
Bruce said the number of cases dropped dramatically after the bylaw passed, but reports of dogs in trucks has gradually been creeping back up, with this spring on track to be the worst season yet.
These days, injuries to dogs falling from pick-ups are rare, but not unheard of -- as recently as December, a wounded dog was rescued from Deerfoot Trail, after being thrown from a pick-up truck during a crash.
Bruce said it's not just falling from the truck that can injure a dog, and high-speed wind blasts can damage eyes and ears.
"It's an animal health and safety issue -- when you put a dog in the back of a truck, it's exposed to all sort of elements," said Bruce.
"Your dog was never meant to go 100 km/h, and it shouldn't even be hanging its head out the window at that speed."
But the real danger is Fido being flung from the truck, and that's something that can happen to even the safest of drivers, says the bylaw boss.
"When you set out on the road, you can't guarantee what will happen," he said.
Past cases of dogs being thrown from trucks have resulted from sudden stops, sharp corners and even potholes, which can cause enough of a jolt to springboard the dog onto the road.
An injured dog can cause other motorists to crash, says Bruce, saying the rule is also aimed at protecting people.
The bylaw does allow dogs to ride in the back of pick-ups if the animal is safely tethered, and the surface of the truck bed offers grip.
The Calgary Humane Society confirms that reports of dogs riding in pick-ups are increasingly common, and officials with the society are backing the crackdown on offending drivers.
"We're seeing it all the time, and it's really frustrating," said Cheryl Wallach, spokeswoman for the Calgary Humane Society.
Other than trying to keep muddy paws off the front seat of $30,000 vehicle, Wallach said many truck drivers allow their dogs to ride in the back because the animal appears to have fun.
"Some will say, 'My dog will never jump out,' but what happens if you slam on the brakes, and what happens if you're in an accident?"
