Dogs in backs of pickup trucks not a legal matter

I wondered if the Colorado Springs Police Department actually enforces the law against driving with a dog in the back of a pickup truck. Time and time again I see dogs back there, like they are an inanimate object or a piece of luggage. I have personally seen a dog thrown from a pickup, literally fly out and killed, because the driver had to swerve suddenly. Not a pretty sight. So, is this law even being enforced or do the CS Police just turn a blind eye?
- Lee

ANSWER: It’s not illegal! Apparently the state legislature considered a law prohibiting people from keeping their dogs loose in the back of pickup trucks, but it was killed, said Ann Davenport, spokeswoman for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

Law enforcement or humane officers would have to prove the dog is suffering as it rides in the back of a truck, but usually the dogs “are having the time of their lives,” oblivious to how close danger really is, she said. If an animal is thrown from a truck and injured or killed, this might fit under the state’s cruelty ordinance, Davenport said.

If you want restrictions on dogs in the backs of trucks, you should talk to your legislator.