(CNN) — A new bill in Florida might mean that Fido won’t have any more pleasure trips.
A bill moving through the Florida legislature would ban dogs from sticking their heads out of car windows, along with a host of other measures.
The proposal is part of Senate Bill 932, a sweeping animal welfare bill sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book.
Section 1 of the bill deals with the transport of dogs in cars. The section would prohibit Floridians from allowing “a dog to extend its head or any other part of its body out of the window of a motor vehicle while the person is operating it on a public road.”
The bill says violators would be subject to a non-criminal traffic violation, considered a moving violation.
The section also includes other regulations on how dogs can be transported in automobiles. The bill would prohibit Floridians from having dogs on their lap while driving or from transporting their dogs across a car’s running board, fender, hood, roof or trunk. Instead, it provides that dogs in motor vehicles on public roads must be secured in properly sized crates, restrained with a pet harness or seat belt, or “under the physical control of a person other than the driver of the motor vehicle.” ”.
In addition, the bill proposes new restrictions on cat declawing, cosmetic animal testing, animal cruelty, and the sale of rabbits.
Section 9 of the bill would create an “animal abuse registry,” much like the registries that currently exist for sex offenders. Starting January 1, 2024, information regarding people convicted of animal cruelty will be published on a publicly accessible state website. The record would include the legal name and aliases, address, date of birth, and photograph of each offender. Registered abusers would also not be allowed to “own or reside in the same residence with or on the same property as an animal unless authorized to do so by court order.”
State Senator Says She’s Open To Amending Legislation But Wants To Protect Animals
Book, the senator who sponsored the car window portion of the bill, said she is open to amending the legislation “while protecting the intent of animal welfare.”
Book noted in a statement shared with CNN that his family has three dogs that “love to stick their heads out of the window.”
“I welcome and appreciate all public comment on this topic, which is just one piece of a proposed comprehensive review of the state’s animal welfare system that has been brought before me by veterinarians and advocates,” he continued.
After news of the proposed bill broke, social media users voiced their grievances on Book’s Facebook page. in the comments section on an unrelated post.
“I talked to my dog, he said his body, his choice, and to mind his own business when it comes to how he chooses to enjoy a ride in the car,” one user wrote.
“Are you once morest dogs sticking their heads out of the window? Seriously people can’t pay rent but this is your concern,” wrote another.
Book added: “We can easily amend this part of the bill while protecting the intent of the animal welfare community and the veterinarians who proposed the policy because of the unintentional injuries they have treated, and we will.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association it says on their website that allowing a dog to stick its head out of a car window is always “too risky for the dog.”
The practice “means your dog is not properly restrained,” increases the risk of “airborne object” injury, and increases the risk of the dog falling out of the window, being thrown from the vehicle in a crash, or jumping out of the vehicle. vehicle.