Is It Legal In Washington For Your Dog To Ride In Back Of Truck?

Is It Legal For My Dog To Ride In An Open Truck Bed In Washington State?

As I was coming down 27th avenue in Kennewick a few days ago I saw a dog running from side to side in the back of a truck.

Washington Drivers Might Be Breaking The Law And Don't Realize It

My first thought was if that driver was going around the corner, his dog might get thrown clear across the roadway.

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I've seen it time and time again so it got me thinking if I didn't know the law or not. I know when I was a kid, you could freely sit anywhere in the back of a truck and your dog was allowed to roam all about the bed of the truck.

According To Washington State Law, Your Dog Has To Be Secured

As I saw that truck make a large swing turn at 27th Avenue, it got me curious about what the law is in Washington State concerning a dog being unrestrained in the back of an open truck bed.

If a police officer saw the unsecured dog, it looks like the officer could've written the driver a ticket.

In the state of Washington, it's illegal not to secure your dog in the back of a moving vehicle.

The law reads as such:

RCW 46.61.660

Carrying persons or animals on outside part of vehicle.

It shall be unlawful for any person to transport any living animal on the running board, fenders, hood, or other outside part of any vehicle unless a suitable harness, cage, or enclosure is provided and so attached as to protect such animal from falling or being thrown therefrom.

It shall be unlawful for any person to transport any persons upon the running board, fenders, hood, or other outside parts of any vehicle, except that this provision shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles or to solid waste collection vehicles that are engaged in collecting solid waste or recyclables on route at speeds of twenty miles per hour or less.

It's a reminder that if you are one of those drivers that don't secure your animal, you can't be surprised or shocked when law enforcement writes you a ticket for breaking the law.

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Source: Is It Legal In Washington For Your Dog To Ride In The Back Of An Open Truck Bed?

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