In March of 2018 I was driving on Fort Riley Boulevard. Fort Riley Blvd., if you are unfamiliar with it, is bustling with traffic and ranges in speed limits from 45-55 mph. A tow truck was in front of me, seemingly harmless, until I noticed a dog chained to the back of the truck. This is a tow truck; there are no sides on a tow truck, so the dog was walking close to the edges of the flatbed, inches away from plummeting into the moving road beneath him.  The chain was long enough that, if the dog did fall, it would strangle him and drag him along the asphalt.

Alarmed, I called the Riley County Police Department but was ultimately told that there was no ordinance prohibiting such transfer of live animal subjects. This motivated me to do something about creating an ordinance for the city of Manhattan, the state of Kansas, and nationwide. I wrote up a proposal and presented it to the Manhattan City Commissioners meeting, but was met with silence. It is my hope now to obtain a collection of signatures to show that this is an important topic in Manhattan. 

Lawrence already has an ordinance against transport of animals in the back of trucks. It reads as follows: "It shall be Unlawful for any person to transport any animal in the open bed of a truck unless said animal is restrained in a cage or on a leash that will prevent the animal from jumping or falling off the vehicle;"

I propose that we have a similar ordinance to be upheld by concerned citizens and the Riley County Police Department. The only change I propose to this ordinance would be to prohibit leash attachment to the truck for fear of strangling or dragging the animal behind the truck. 

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An estimated 100,000 dogs each year are killed from flat-bed truck accidents (American Humane Society, 2016). This number reflects only those dogs that are killed from falling out of flat beds and either die from the speed and impact to the ground or from being hit by subsequent cars. Animal crossings are within the top 25 causes of car accidents in the U.S. and, while we normally consider animal crossings to be from wild animals, an animal bouncing out of a nearby truck and slamming into your grill or windshield would fit the definition of an animal crossing related accident. Loose objects in a vehicle are also one of the top causes for accidents in the United States; an unsecured moving animal would qualify as a loose object.

In addition to the dangers to the citizens of Manhattan, dogs riding in the back of a flatbed truck are also an animal welfare and animal health issue. Stationing a dog in the truck bed with no cover or protection is dangerous to the animal. Dust, debris (rock, metal), and wind speed can affect a dog’s eyes, respiratory system, and oral cavity. 

Something needs to be done in regards to this. Our city commissioners need to stand up and take offense. We are an agricultural University with a veterinary school; abuse of animals should not be tolerated in our community or our state residence. 

References from the AVMA Website

1. Houston DM, Fries CL, Alcorn AM, et al. Injuries suffered by dogs from riding in the back of open pickup trucks: a retrospective review of seventy cases. Can Vet J 1995;36:510-512.

2. Agran P, Diane M, Anderson C. Injuries to occupants in cargo areas of pickup trucks. West J Med 1994;161:479-482.

3. Anderson C, Agran P, Winn D, et al. Fatalities to occupants of cargo areas of pickup trucks. Accid Anal Prev 2000;32:533-540.

4. Hampson N, Norkool D. Carbon monoxide poisoning in children riding in the back of pickup trucks. J Am Med Ass 1992;267:538-540.