Dogs would not be able to put their heads out of moving cars under a Florida proposal that has drawn wide news coverage — and considerable backlash.
The restriction is part of Senate Bill 932, an animal welfare measure introduced Friday, Feb. 17, by Lauren Book, a Democratic state senator.
Book’s spokeswoman Claire VanSusteren told the Sun Sentinel that the legislation had been presented to the senator by veterinarians and other animal advocates concerned about possible injury to dogs riding in cars. But because of the immediate reaction, she said, the bill will be changed substantially. “This is not something that Floridians want,” VanSusteren conceded.
In addition to the ban on heads or other body parts out of car windows, the bill would require that any dog riding in a car be in a crate, restrained by a harness or pet seatbelt, or under the physical control of a person other than the driver.
The bill’s other clauses concerning dogs and vehicles are less controversial, including:
• A dog cannot sit on the driver’s lap.
• A dog cannot ride in front of a motorcycle’s operator.
• A dog cannot be transported on the hood, roof or running board or in the trunk.
Other elements of the bill address declawing, animal testing of cosmetics, the tethering of dogs or cats outside, and the sale of rabbits.
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