"I need air!"
Posted on 07/06/2005 10:47:37 AM PDT by Cagey
Where Fido finds a breath of fresh air, Marc McCann, 11, sees a road hazard. The Green Tree boy helped a state lawmaker craft a proposal that would make it illegal for dogs and other pets to stick their heads out the car window, which McCann says is a danger to animals and a distraction to drivers.
McCann's idea now has a shot at becoming law, thanks to a contest called "There Ought to Be a Law," sponsored annually by Rep. Tom Stevenson, R-Mt. Lebanon.
"I never did like dogs sticking their heads out the window," said McCann, who will be a sixth-grader this fall at Keystone Oaks Middle School. "Maybe a sign might have been too close to the road and they'd get hit. Maybe they'd jump out the window on a highway."
The bill, submitted to the Transportation Committee in June, would make it illegal for drivers to let their pets stick their heads or other body parts out the window. It also would require pets to be restrained by methods that could include a pet seat-belt system, or a crate or carrier box.
McCann said he was inspired simply by his love of animals.
"My cousin calls me Dr. Doolittle," said McCann, whose favorite dog breed is the Yorkshire.
Stevenson visited McCann's fifth-grade Aiken Elementary School class to teach them about the legislative process and invite them to enter his contest, now in its ninth year.
More than 500 students from Stevenson's district entered their ideas, and five district magistrates pored over the submissions to pick the winner, the legislator said.
When he won, McCann and his family were invited to Harrisburg to tour the Capitol and met with House Speaker John M. Perzel.
"It was wonderful," said McCann's mother, Sandy McCann. "We were very excited."
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
ever try to put a seat belt on a dog what didn't want to be seat belted?
"I need air!"
"I never did like dogs sticking their heads out the window."
Thats ok I never liked a politican telling me every move I'm able to make because I'm not smart enough to know the difference.
We need a law against transporting bowling balls in cars. They could become dangerous missiles if someone were holding them outside the window and accidently dropped them while traveling on a highway.
Anyway, that's my proposal, but if the decision has been made that only sixth-graders are allowed to write laws, I'll back off.
A budding liberal discovering the joy of using the government to stickhis nose in other peoples business. It warms the cockles of my heart.
I would say this though, that when I was driving all over the state with two 90 pound labradors in the back of my Bronco, I was keenly aware that in the event of a wreck, I had two 90 pound projectiles behind me that would break my neck. I installed one of those mesh guards for that reason. From a safety standpoint, it's not good to have a dog loose in the vehicle with you.
you have that right....
I dont think there is a law, but I DO seatbelt my 2 Huskies when we are taking long trips in the car. They both fall asleep so it isn't a big deal.
Can I get on your ping list?
Here are some laws I would like to see:
1) For every NEW law passed, two existing laws have to be repealed before it can take effect.
2) Prior to voting on any piece of legislation, each senator or rep must sign a statement under penalty of perjury attesting that he or she has personally read the full text of the proposed legislation in its entirety.
3) Legislators receive a bonus (to be split among the whole body) equal to 1% of the amount by which each enacted budget is smaller than that of the previous year.
"ever try to put a seat belt on a dog what didn't want to be seat belted?"
Are you suggesting that there are dogs that actually LIKE getting into seatbelts?
On short hops, she rides in the back seat and yes, she sticks her head out of the window.
And sometimes she drives the Studebaker . .
You betcha :~D
I now have a pickup with a canopy and travel with them in the back. Large unsecured items in the vehicle do become dangerous in the event of a crash, something I learned in flight school.
RE the FRiend upthread with the bowling balls, I hope he ties them down... :~D
An old hound man once told me you'll wreck their nose letting them stick their heads out, it bursts the blood vessels in their nose and creates scar tissue.
Just so you know ;~D
LOL...yeah me too....
I had a Jeep. We can either fold the seats down or we can buckle them up. Since it is the summer, I crank up the AC and we keep them closer to the front so they can stay cooler....
I have an idea why don't want put a seatbelt on Rover and stick Stevenson's head out the window. Next stop the first sign post or telephone pole we see.
And I think that lawmakers that encourage their constituents to come up with even MORE laws should be... muzzled. And an 11-year-old, coming up with ideas for new laws? He's either PC-infected, or a real weenie.
Beyond that...now we're going to start passing laws for animals? Why...have we really passed all we can for people, and we need to start on another species?
I love dogs, and mine almost always rides with her head out the window, at least around town, when we're going slowly. When we're out on the interstate, she usually pulls her head in when I hit about 110 mph. That was a joke.
Dogs are not going to like this. Dogs love riding with their heads out the window. They process what's up ahead with their noses, and the rush of wind-scent coming at them at 25 mph is an olfactory vacation. Not to mention, it helps them do their jobs (read the wind, to protect us, among things) much more efficiently.
I believe one of the main reasons dogs developed such devotion to people is, they realized, 25,000 years ago, that if anyone was ever going to develop some sort of thing that would let them not have to run, and move them along at speeds above 7-12 mph...it would be man. (Probably dogs are thinking, Yeah, but we didn't think it would take so long for you to come up with it!)
Short hops to the grocery store, no more than 35 mph.
She voluntarily pulls her nose in if we get going any faster. Probably thinking of her delicate olfactory nerves!
I was just letting you know what the hound man said ;~D
It's something most folk don't think about.... and most people with pets wouldn't mind a little loss of nose...
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