According to The Hill, a new bill in the state of Florida would make it illegal for a dog to be in a driver's lap or have any body part, such as their head, out of the window of a moving vehicle.
The bill makes it a crime to transport a canine in a way that would place them on the running board, fender, hood, or roof of a motor vehicle, as well as in a trunk or enclosed cargo space. Additionally, dogs may not be carried in a car that is being towed.
When speaking to Fox 13 Tampa Bay, Brittany Livingston from Florida Voices for Animals pointed out that when you have an animal in your lap or with their head out the window, it requires a certain amount of attention, making it harder to be the most secure driver possible.
In addition to those limitations, the bill would necessitate that dogs be fastened in a crate suitable for the animal's size while in a car on a public roadway, be tethered with a safety harness or seat belt apart from a neck restraint, or be in the direct control of someone apart from the driver when in a car.
Dogs travelling in pickup trucks should be put in a well-aerated dog crate that ensures stability, safeguards them from bad weather conditions and stops them from being exposed to direct sunlight.
The dog should have the ability to rotate, remain upright, sit, and rest in a normal manner while its crate is secured to the pickup truck.
If rules were broken, the violator could receive a citation for a moving violation, although it would not be considered a criminal transgression.
This bill has established laws pertaining to cat owners with regard to declawing cats, making it illegal to do so unless it is for medical reasons. Anyone found to have declawed or partially declawed a cat will be fined $1000 for each occurrence.
The text in question contains a clause that would permit tribunals to forbid those who have committed offences from possessing animals as a condition of probation. In addition, WFLA has reported that the bill is attempting to restrict the utilization of animals for cosmetic testing.