LIHU‘E — A Kaua‘i resident contacted The Garden Island recently about witnessing a dog sustain a life-threatening injury after jumping or falling from the bed of a moving pickup truck at highway speeds. The dog had been placed in the
LIHU‘E — A Kaua‘i resident contacted The Garden Island recently about witnessing a dog sustain a life-threatening injury after jumping or falling from the bed of a moving pickup truck at highway speeds.
The dog had been placed in the bed of the truck, which did not have a shell or a restraining apparatus. The owner had to be reminded by the witness that the dog had fallen out.
Mana Brown at the Kaua‘i Humane Society said it was fortunate that the medium-sized dog only suffered some road rash when it fell out of the truck along Kuhio highway in Lihu‘e.
“There was nothing broken and it was really lucky because that dog could have suffered broken legs, gotten run over or caused a major accident,” Brown said. “It all could have been avoided if the dog was tied up or confined to a kennel.”
Hawai‘i State Law regarding the carrying of an animal in a vehicle states that no dog or any other animal shall be transported on any public street or highway in any vehicle, unless such animal is totally enclosed within such vehicle. An enclosure is defined as a secured container upon or cross-tethered in such a way as to prevent from falling out or off, or otherwise causing injury while in the vehicle.
Kaua‘i Humane Society Executive Director Penny Cistaro that when these accidents happen the vehicle is usually going at a high rate of speed. The injuries can range from road rash and broken limbs to internal injuries and death.
An animal falling out of a vehicle can also be hit by another from behind or the side, or by drivers following behind the vehicle, she said.
“A lot of times there are leg injuries caused from a fall,” Cistaro said. “Dogs are not as agile as cats, and they are not as balanced as cats and tend to fall and roll down an embankment.”
People don’t secure their dogs for a variety of reasons, she said. The dogs enjoy the freedom and they want them to have great fun — and it is until something happens, she added.
Some people don’t want the dog to dirty the inside of their truck. The driver is also breaking the law when a dog inside a vehicle is obstructing their view or ability to drive.
Others just think that having a dog in the back is the easiest way to transport them from one place to another. The dog learns to adjust, especially if they started at a young age, she said.
“What isn’t taken into account is that even the best dogs are vulnerable to accidents, sudden stops, swerves and lane changes,” she said. “It throws them off balance and they go flying.”
For people who feel they need to give their dogs a sense of freedom and don’t like shells, kennels or cages in the truck, Cistaro said the cross-tie system of restraints is a good alternative. She said they give a dog mobility while also keeping it secured to the center.
Brown said that in his experience the mishaps typically occur on the busier roadways where people are driving at faster speeds. He said people are aware of their surroundings and conditions, but the animals can’t sense or adjust to a sudden stop or turn and so are more easily injured.
“People forget that they can train a dog not to jump out of the back of a truck, but they can’t train them not to fall out of the truck,” Brown said. “People get complacent and disregard the big picture.”
A dog can still be injured inside of a kennel or cage, or even with the straps, Brown said. They are safer with a more confined space, however, and then it]s up to the driver to try and avoid hard braking, accelerating and turning.
“I tie my dog down back in the back of the truck,” Brown said. “I don’t want to be that person who forgets that one time, and then the dog goes over and out the back.”
Another problem is that people will leave a dog unsecured in the back of an open truck while they leave to the vehicle to shop, he said. An aggressive dog may become excited at the sight of another animal and these are the incidents that come to the attention of the Humane Society, he said.
“There have been a lot of bites and scratches trying to separate dogs,” Brown said.
The clip is the most used for its easy stowage. The cages tend to be expensive and require mechanical work to install, he said, and are also bulky and take up permanent space in the vehicle.
“Something with tie straps is nice because you just clip the dog up and they are ready to go,” Brown said. “It is cheaper with the entire system costing under $60.”
It’s less than the bill from the veterinarian if the dog gets injured in a fall, he added. It is also cheaper than the liability for damage to other cars caused from running into a dog or by trying to avoid it.
• Island Crime Beat is a weekly column that reflects on the current events and issues regarding the police, courts and criminal justice system of Kaua‘i.
