WTH?! Driver Ties Dog to Flatbed Truck While Traveling and Unbelievably … It’s Legal

If we think back to the election cycle nearly four years ago, we all likely remember the backlash that came about when news broke that Presidential candidate Mitt Romney had strapped his family dog into a carrier on the roof of his station wagon on a family trip. While that news continues to be a talking point in political discussions, this form of transportation for pets isn’t all that rare. Apparently, in Texas, it’s perfectly legal to drive your dog around while he or she is tied to the top of your flatbed truck, even without a carrier! Photographs of a Houston area driver are going viral as they show a dog tethered to a moving truck’s flatbed, which is reported to have been driving at 65 mph!

The photographs have garnered a huge amount of scrutiny against the driver, who was not identified, but incredibly, this type of animal transportation is perfectly within the law!

How on Earth is this legal?!

According to the District Attorney’s office, placing animals in this highly dangerous situation is only a crime if the animal actually gets hurt. The entire basis of this is entirely absurd as anyone can put their pet in such a high-risk situation, but only be responsible if they actually are injured … or worse. Aren’t laws supposed to help prevent tragedies, not just react to them? This would be like saying you can hang a person off of a cliff, but you’ll only be held responsible if you actually drop them.

The dog in the photo has no protection from other cars, wind, rain … and what would happen on a sharp turn or collision? Strapped to the top of the truck, this dog is on a moving death trap and we can’t fathom how in the world this is legally sound.

Animal activists are now calling for tougher animal protection laws. Monica Schmidt with the Houston Humane Society recommends that anyone who is upset by the animal’s treatment contact their elected official and encourage them to push for tougher Animal rights legislation. While what happened to this dog is absolutely abhorrent, we’re glad that the attention is sparking animal lovers to speak out and we hope it will continue to spread.

Image source: KHOU