Dear Tiffani, 

The other day, someone made a rude comment about me dog riding in the back of my truck. He has always ridden safely there, what’s the problem?

Signed, Keep on Truckin’

Dear Truckin’, 

I’m sorry to say, just because your dog hasn’t been hurt yet, doesn’t mean he’s immune. There’s a reason it’s illegal to let your dog riding in a truck bed in many states. It’s estimated that 100,000 dogs die each in the United States from falling out of trucks. More specific statistics are hard to track since many people do not report when their dog has fallen out, and often don’t reclaim their dog when it’s been found dead or severely wounded.

It’s not a question of if your dog will get hurt, but how severely and when. Dogs can't "hold on" the way humans can, and any sudden start, stop or turn can toss your pet onto the highway. If the impact of hitting the road at a high speed doesn't kill him, oncoming traffic probably will. A dog riding loose in the back of a pickup is a public safety hazard to other motorists as well. A swerve, bump, or sudden stop can jolt the dog out resulting in his injury or death or cause an accident by a driver trying to avoid hitting the fallen dog. Also, there have been multiple cases locally where a dog has been tethered in a truck back and when they fall out, are dragged for miles. What we see most often at Stafford Animal Shelter are dogs who have been severely injured from falling out of trucks, had limbs removed, and require ongoing surgery. We don’t have the resources to treat these animals and have to rely on the generosity of donors, veterinarians, and adopters.

Even if a dog does not fall from truck backs, there are additional hazards to riding in one. Most dogs love the feeling of wind blowing past their ears at 60mph, but that wind can seriously irritate mucous membranes in the nose and mouth, and blow dirt, debris and insects into the animal's eyes. The swirling of the air currents in the bed of a pickup truck also lodges debris in dogs’ eyes, ears, and nose. Permanent damage to the eye is common. 

Open truck beds provide no protection from the weather. Rain, snow and freezing temperatures are obvious problems, but warm days have dangers too. Hot sun can heat the metal floor of a truck bed enough to burn a pet's paw pads. And once the truck has stopped, a dog left sitting in the sun without water or shade may suffer from heat stroke.

Next time you decide to transport your dog in the back of your truck, ask yourself if you are willing to pay for the veterinary bills and risk your dog suffering injury or death, or worse – causing a motorist’s death as they swerve to avoid your dog when he does fall from your truck. If you choose to transport your dog in the back of a truck, they need to be secured in a carrier. If you tether them, use cross-ties short enough to prevent them from falling over either side. 

At the Stafford Animal Shelter, we currently have a poster child for why dogs shouldn’t ride in trucks. Abigail is a gorgeous pedigreed German Shepard, just a year old, now hobbling on the three legs that survived her fall out of a pickup. Her life expectancy is shortened, she moves unconfidently and uncomfortably, and the common hip dysplaisia of her breed on her remaining back leg further degenerates her ability to move. It’s always painful to see an animal in pain from an incident that could have easily been avoided. 

Please leave your dog at home, tether him properly, or crate him safely for all our sakes – the convenience of having him ride in the back of your truck is just not worth it.

Sincerely, Tiffani

Tiffani Zimmerman is the Behavior Specialist at the Stafford Animal Shelter. Email questions to her at behavioradvice@imt.net, call 406/222-1312, or read archived columns at www.staffordanimalshelter.org. 

p.s. We have a special “Rosie Fund” for animals at the Shelter who require extraordinary medical care and the large number of dogs we’ve received this year who have been wounded in truck falls and need treatment has depleted the fund. If you’d like to help these wounded pets, please send a donation marked for the “Rosie Fund.”