Can A Dog Legally Ride In The Bed Of A Truck In Arkansas?

Driving around town one day I saw something that I remember seeing as a kid but could not believe that someone was doing it now. They had their dog in the bed of a truck going down the highway! The Dog looked like he was having a huge time enjoying the wind on his face.

I just knew that this was illegal, right? Nobody should be allowed to do this to a dog? This answer will shock you and probably make you mad that Arkansas does not have a specific law that makes this illegal. It is not illegal in Texas either.

As of 2019, it appears that only six states California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island have such laws. This is where the laws in Arkansas get a little interesting. The Arkansas State Police had this to say about your dogs in the bed of a truck:

"Should the animal fall onto the highway and cause damage to another vehicle or other property, the animal owner could possibly be held legally responsible for the damages,”

Canva

If you are a driver of a vehicle and you have a dog tied up in the bed and for some reason, it is thrown out and dragged behind the vehicle you will be charged with animal cruelty.

Canva

Oh, and if you were curious no passenger can ride in the bed of a truck or any other area that is not intended to carry passengers like truck beds and hoods and roofs of cars and trucks. If you break this law it is a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of up to $500.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Filed Under: Arkansas, dog, Texarkana