Charged with animal cruelty

[tessa78]

It's all fun to stick your head out the window until another car races by taking it off. :eek: ?

I see where you are coming from, but I highly doubt a car could take his head off. It's not like he has a two-foot neck. He just sticks his snout out. If a car is close enough to take his head off, it's close enough to take my head off (and no, I don't stick mine out the window). There's my punishment for animal cruelty right there.

Was the dog strapped in?

I will admit that he wasn't strapped in. I'm not someone to take my dog for rides all the time, or on a cross-country trip. I take him to the vet and back, and to the kennel and back, and that's about it. If you're suggesting that he could have jumped out the window, he couldn't. I feed him too well for that. :D


I still think the cruelty charge was over the top. Wouldn't that mean I wanted to harm him and in fact did harm him? He's on the couch right now, chewing a bone, and looking awfully content. I wish someone was "cruel" to me... :rolleyes:

[Tater]

Now if I had gotten pulled over on my way to the vet, I could have gotten her opinion. I think I'll call her up and get her take on it.

What would the Vet's opinion have to do with the law? I have opinions on some of the laws I enforce, but I don't enforce opinions, I enforce State Law.

[tessa78]

What would the Vet's opinion have to do with the law? I have opinions on some of the laws I enforce, but I don't enforce opinions, I enforce State Law.

I don't intend to hire my vet as my lawyer. I simply would want her take on whether it is harmful for a dog to stick his head out the window. If it is, I'll make sure the windows are closed in the future, regardless of any tickets or charges or anything else. I don't think it's an unreasonable question.

[retdetsgt]

I don't strap my dog in either. I either close the window or tell her to get down. She's pretty well trained and does it.

I see people here driving around all the time with their dogs in the back of their pickups, some tied in, some not. But all are exposed to the wind. I seriously doubt they are getting tickets for animal cruelty.

[Tater]

I don't intend to hire my vet as my lawyer. I simply would want her take on whether it is harmful for a dog to stick his head out the window. If it is, I'll make sure the windows are closed in the future, regardless of any tickets or charges or anything else. I don't think it's an unreasonable question.

I never implied that you were going to hire your vet as an attorney. So you ask your vet and she says that it does not bother the animal, are you still going to let it ride with it's head out the window, regardless of what your state laws infer?

[retdetsgt]

I never implied that you were going to hire your vet as an attorney. So you ask your vet and she says that it does not bother the animal, are you still going to let it ride with it's head out the window, regardless of what your state laws infer?

Wellll, she admitted that it was probably her attitude that got her the ticket and I imagine that's right. I never knew any cops that were out looking for people to arrest for letting their pooch stick their head out the window. Even though I don't think it's a good idea to do that, it seems to me that's still stretching the intent of the law just a bit. The fact she later got a notice about licensing the dog tells me the cop was pretty pissed at her.

I bet a little humility on her part at the initial stop would have prevented the whole thing.;)

[tessa78]

I never implied that you were going to hire your vet as an attorney. So you ask your vet and she says that it does not bother the animal, are you still going to let it ride with it's head out the window, regardless of what your state laws infer?

I really don't want this to turn into an argument, but I do love to argue (which may be why I got the tickets), SO...

If my vet says that the consensus amongst the veterinary world is that it is not detrimental to a dog's health to stick its head out the window of a moving vehicle, then yes, I'd probably continue to let him stick is head out of a moving vehicle.

If there is, indeed, a state law, federal law, town ordinance (and not just a personal rule by Officer X) that specifically prohibibits letting your dog stick its head out the window of a moving vehicle, then yes, I will deprive my dog of the joy of fresh air blowing on his snout.

If there is only the animal cruelty law cited by Chewy, then there is wide room for interpretation. I do not see the cruelty in it. Should a court, however, find me guilty of animal cruelty, then yes, I will refrain from letting my dog stick his head out of a moving vehicle in the future.

If there is a reckless endangerment law that prohibits letting your dog stick its head out of a moving vehicle, then yes, I will keep the windows closed.

If there is a law or ordinance requiring a dog to wear doggles while sticking its head out of the window of a moving vehicle, then yes, I will make him wear them.

[tessa78]

Wellll, she admitted that it was probably her attitude that got her the ticket and I imagine that's right. I never knew any cops that were out looking for people to arrest for letting their pooch stick their head out the window. Even though I don't think it's a good idea to do that, it seems to me that's still stretching the intent of the law just a bit. The fact she later got a notice about licensing the dog tells me the cop was pretty pissed at her.

I bet a little humility on her part at the initial stop would have prevented the whole thing.;)

We posted at the same time, so I missed this one.

Wellll...my mouth may have gotten me in more hot water than necessary. We kind of got off on the wrong foot because when he first came to the window I asked if he was stalking me (because he had pulled me over a few days earlier). I thought it was funny. He didn't. And once we got into the dog issue, well, let's not go there.

Anyway, if he charged me with animal cruelty only because I pissed him off, then maybe I stand a chance in court -- unless I piss off the judge too. :eek:

[Roger Dat]

Rule of thumb for most when stopped. Be nice! There is no need to have an attitude with the officer. If you disagree with the ticket you are being issued that is your given right. HOWEVER do not debate the specifics of the citation on the side of the road. This is what court is for.

Runing your mouth and trying to show your the "alpha" is just going to get you in deeper.

[retdetsgt]

Rule of thumb for most when stopped. Be nice! There is no need to have an attitude with the officer. If you disagree with the ticket you are being issued that is your given right. HOWEVER do not debate the specifics of the citation on the side of the road. This is what court is for.

Runing your mouth and trying to show your the "alpha" is just going to get you in deeper.

+1

I think I have a pretty good sense of humor and part of my success as a cop was my ability and willingness to banter with everyone from old ladies to gangbangers. If fact, I really enjoyed it.

But when I made a traffic stop, it was because the driver (in some rare cases, a passenger) did something that I didn't like. When I walked up to the car, the last thing I wanted to hear was a smartass remark. And l appreciated even less getting an argument. I doubt anyone has ever gotten out of a ticket by arguing with the officer.

I still do something stupid enough to get me stopped by police about once every 5 or 6 years and I am the most humble sumbitch you have ever seen. I know I just did something that pissed him off and the last thing I want to do is piss him off more. He's the one with all the rocks in his pocket, not me.;)

[tessa78]

Point taken. Lesson Learned. *Mental note to self: Work on verbal self-restraint*

In my defense though, I didn't mean any disrespect to the cop at all. Honestly. I'm just the kind of person that'll joke about a bomb in my carry-on while going through airport security. I think I should use one of those dog shock collars (animal cruelty, in my humble opinion) on myself and zap myself every time I'm about to make a smartass comment.

Thanks for everybody's comments.

PS: There should be a catch-all charge for being "rude/disrespectful/uncooperative" to a police officer, so they don't have to manipulate the facts to fit another charge just to "punish" the offender for pissing them off. I'd prefer a charge for "running my mouth" over a charge for cruelty to animals. At least I'd know I was guilty of that, and I'd "happily" pay the fine, even wash his damn squad car if it makes him happy.

[Roger Dat]

Point taken. Lesson Learned. *Mental note to self: Work on verbal self-restraint*

In my defense though, I didn't mean any disrespect to the cop at all. Honestly.
Guarentee you'll only do that once
. I think I should use one of those dog shock collars (animal cruelty, in my humble opinion) on myself and zap myself every time I'm about to make a smartass comment.

Thanks for everybody's comments.

PS: There should be a catch-all charge for being "rude/disrespectful/uncooperative" to a police officer, so they don't have to manipulate the facts to fit another charge just to "punish" the offender for pissing them off. I'd prefer a charge for "running my mouth" over a charge for cruelty to animals. At least I'd know I was guilty of that, and I'd "happily" pay the fine, even wash his damn squad car if it makes him happy.

WE arent manipulating the facts. Its that by the letter of the law you are in violation of that law. Do we usually write that citation? For most people probably not bt if you piss us off you would be surprised just how many violations you commit during your daily routine that officers let go.
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[chewy]

I really don't want this to turn into an argument, but I do love to argue (which may be why I got the tickets), SO...

If my vet says that the consensus amongst the veterinary world is that it is not detrimental to a dog's health to stick its head out the window of a moving vehicle, then yes, I'd probably continue to let him stick is head out of a moving vehicle.

If there is, indeed, a state law, federal law, town ordinance (and not just a personal rule by Officer X) that specifically prohibibits letting your dog stick its head out the window of a moving vehicle, then yes, I will deprive my dog of the joy of fresh air blowing on his snout.

If there is only the animal cruelty law cited by Chewy, then there is wide room for interpretation. I do not see the cruelty in it. Should a court, however, find me guilty of animal cruelty, then yes, I will refrain from letting my dog stick his head out of a moving vehicle in the future.

If there is a reckless endangerment law that prohibits letting your dog stick its head out of a moving vehicle, then yes, I will keep the windows closed.

If there is a law or ordinance requiring a dog to wear doggles while sticking its head out of the window of a moving vehicle, then yes, I will make him wear them.

Your Vet is most likely going to tell you it's not a good idea to allow the dog to do this... Dogs noses are extremely sensitive and air being forced into thier nose can actually cause damage to the sensitive tissue in their nose. Obviously if it was actually to that point the dog would not keep their head out the window but that's what could happen... it's the same reason you aren't supposed to blow into their noses.

[retdetsgt]

Point taken. Lesson Learned. *Mental note to self: Work on verbal self-restraint*

Many, many years ago when I was a new butterbar, my C.O. told me, " Young man, you should never pass up the opportunity to keep your f*****g mouth shut".

That was over 40 years ago and every time I've let my mouth run off, I can hear in my head saying that. I wished I'd followed the advice a lot more often.......

But as cool a guy as I am:cool:, I've loaded down people with tickets when they kept feeling the need to pop off. They were all good charges, but they were all discretionary.