The incident happened last week, but the story is something that I’ve been really thinking about.
A New Jersey woman was charged with two counts of animal cruelty for leaving an animal unattended inside a vehicle and for carrying an animal in an inhumane way, after her male Yorkie hanged itself from the headrest of her vehicle while she was inside a restaurant eating dinner, according to the Asbury Park Press.
I’m not defending her in any way, but I am curious about what people think would have been the solution in this situation. She went inside to have dinner and had the leash tied around her headrest, according to the report. Officials told the newspaper, the dog was jumping around so much that it basically wrapped the leash around the headrest creating a noose.
Anyone who follows this website, knows I travel with Toby every weekend, and much of the time I’m traveling alone with him. I have a crate in my backseat I put him in, but he just fits it in. If he were a little bigger, we’d have to come up with a different arrangement. Although I try not to make too many stops, there are times I have to, like at a rest area or to grab a cup of coffee.
The charges in this case bring up some interesting questions — specifically, what is a humane way of carrying a dog, and can a state trooper give me a ticket if Toby is in the car while I run into the rest area?
You travel with Toby in a wise manner. Every time I see a dog on it's owners lap, head out the window…I have visions of the dog flying out the window and getting run over if it's owner was in an accident. Of course, I think similar thoughts when I see a young thing in cutoffs on the back of her boyfriends motorcycle, wondering if she even thinks about how her skin would look with roadrash…
Pepper rides in a snoozer lookout booster seat with her harness clipped to the seatbelt. She is in the front seat, but doesn't weigh enough to activate the airbag. She needs to be able to see me and communicate with me to do her job, otherwise, she'd be in the backseat.
I don't know for sure, but I think it is illegal to leave a dog in the car over here because of the heat.
Leaving an unattended dog tied up by the neck IS inhumane and dangerous. Crating a dog in the car is the safest thing to do (with no collar on). Plus, in a crate, you can safely leave down all the windows all the way, or even leave the doors open, so that it doesn't get too hot inside the car when you do have to run in at a rest stop, because, lets face it, sometimes you have to leave your dog in the car for a minute or two.
How sad. 🙁
Sometimes you have to leave your pups. It's the people who leave their dogs in the car for hours that bother me. She should be charged as well because it's not hard to go online or to your local pet store and pick up a dog seat belt or crate. There are so many options to make your car dog safe that she has no excuse.
This reminds me of the time I saw an "unoccupied" car drive itself in a complete circle, jump two curbs, cross the street and crash into a plate-glass window of a furniture store. A dog had been left in the car with the motor running; he managed to get it in gear and moving. I don't know if the dog or the owner was charged — one for reckless driving or the other for not restraining the dog. It was very surreal and could have been tragic. (Visiting from the LBS!)
Awesome blog! From Lady Blogger Society
Have a great weekend!
Obviously this is a tragic story, and I'm unclear as to why the dog was tied up inside the car in the first place. Unless the windows were down? And I also think leaving a dog inside the car for the length of a meal is not smart to begin with, but perhaps there was a reason this was necessary? I have no idea.
For myself, what I am comfortable with in terms of leaving the dogs in the car really depends upon the circumstances. Generally speaking, though, I don't do it.
I don't travel with Greta at all unless I don't have to leave her. I live in the desert and it's just too dangerous to leave an animal in the car for any amount of time. Most of the time if I take her with me, I'll use drive-thrus or carside pickup, or I'll have someone else with me so we can tag team any other excursions.
I think the way you carry your dog is probably the best way, especially if you are going to stop. But I don't think a dog should have to sit in a car while someone goes to dinner. I think people don't really think about how much having a dog is like having a child. They DO NOT want to be left anywhere, so of course it's going to jump around and go crazy. Great post BTW
Wow, this is sad and tragic. I think people need to apply some grace…Sometimes we just take things for granted until we get a hard lesson. So easy to judge. Not excusing, just think sometimes people go on and create more pain and not help by there insensitivity and limited perspective. No one likes to be judged, when seen in the worst possible light. I would be heartbroken if anything happened to my dog. He loves to go in the car with me. New to you from LBS tea party. Following you now! ~ Dawn @Beneath the Surface:Breath of Faith