Dogs To Be Banned From Doing One Thing In Florida
In order to protect dogs from accidental harm, Florida is banning dogs from being able to put their heads out of moving car windows.
A proposed bill in Florida is set to take animal protections to a whole new level, making sure that all pets are given the respect and quality of life they deserve and that no unnecessary risks are taken with their lives. This will go a long way in protecting Florida’s pets from animal abuse and from accidental injury. The bill would change laws surrounding everything from cat declawing to animal testing for cosmetics, but its biggest effect will be on dogs.
According to NPR, the bill will make it illegal for dogs to stick any part of their heads outside of a vehicle window, as this increases the risk of another vehicle swiping them or the possibility of the dog itself jumping out of the car. Dogs would also not be able to ride on motorcycles or in driver’s laps but must be secured in another seat or in a crate. Perhaps self-explanatory, this bill also includes prohibitions against dogs riding on roofs, fenders, or hoods.
The bill also says that dogs in motor vehicles need to be secured somehow and supervised by somebody other than the driver. This phrasing makes it sound like at least two people must be in the car with the dog, both the driver and the supervisor, but the writers of the bill have yet to clarify exactly what this means. Dogs can ride in the beds of pickup trucks but must be secured in crates that are, in turn, secured to the vehicle itself.
Other furry friends protected in this bill include cats and rabbits. The bill would make it illegal to declaw cats except in necessary cases like illness or injury, a practice which many cat lovers argue should have been illegal some time ago, as declawing cats inhibits their primary mode of defense and effects everything from how they walk to how they eat. Any veterinarians found illegally practicing declawing would be subject to a loss of their license and a $5,000 fine.
Rabbits will no longer be allowed to be sold on streets or in flea markets, or at all during the peak breeding months of March and April. Violations of this portion of the bill would be considered second-degree misdemeanors. This will make sure that rabbits aren’t bred for cruel purposes or sold to homes where they’ll experience abuse or neglect.
Lastly, the bill would also make it illegal to tether an animal without supervision. Gone are the days of leaving your dog outside or tied up outside the grocery store, and many animal lovers say, “Good riddance.” Though reasonable exceptions to the rule exist, the bill would, by and large, make it much harder to put pets in harm’s way.
Animal protections are on the rise across the country as governments work to ensure that pets are protected under the law. Our furry friends are a huge part of our lives, and thanks to this new bill, they’ll be taken care of by a whole village. Lawmakers also hope that the law helps inform and educate pet owners of practices that are unsafe or potentially harmful.
