Comments on: Anti-lapdog bill cruises through California Assembly toward Senate

By: Johnny

Johnny — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:08:18 +0000

Dogs should not be on laps of drivers in cars. If the dog has coniptions, gets antagonized by kids in a passing car, vomits/takes a crap etc etc the driver will swerve/freak and there will be a pile-up. Use common-sense for gawds sake. You don’t need the damn thing on your lap and it is **unsafe**.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:52:45 +0000

I think seatbelts and/or crating your pet,should be up to the discretion of the owner. If California is supposed to be such a dog friendly state, Then why as one of his first matters of business, after elected, did Schwarzenegger propose: Cutting the waiting period that a dog has in the pound, from 6 days down to 3 days before EUTHANIZATION? To SAVE MONEY!!!!! How about a special tax for the citizens of California with an exorbitent INCOME? the people who can very easily afford it, instead of murdering the innocent dogs!!!!!

By: Lawrence P

Lawrence P — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:25:25 +0000

I am so tired of dumb legislators like Maze (who represents rural areas) telling me what to do. My dog is content on my lap and sleeps most of the time in the car. Doesn’t Maze have anything to do ?

By: Dee

Dee — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:08:53 +0000

The author of this piece suggests that “What is really needed is a seat belt law that covers not just people, but all beings traveling in a vehicle.” While I agree that dogs shouldn’t ride in people’s laps while they’re driving (or, for that matter, in a front seat at all, given the danger of airbags to dogs), to require “seatbelts” or even confinement to a crate for dogs travelling with their owners would mean that those like me would be required to violate the law & risk fines every time we took our dogs in the car. My 10-year-old, 80lb. Akita would not consent to being strapped into a seatbelt, under any circumstance. Furthermore, she cannot be crated because of severe orthopedic problems. I think busybody legislators should keep their paws off of anything that smacks of seatbelt/crate laws for dogs traveling in cars. If not, I’d like to invite them to try to strap my dog — or the many other dogs like her — into a seatbelt. Good luck with that!

By: Tessie

Tessie — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:43:32 +0000

Watch out! The devil is in the details and all that. Somebody had best read the fine print in this bill because there is a BIG poison pill. Specifically the ability for the goverment to put a lien on your house should your pet become lost in a natural disaster and the goverment wants to charge you to rescue it. Don’t have money to pay? Well, now you can lose your house! What this is doing in a bill to remove pets from drivers’ laps I don’t know. Pretty sneaky if you ask me.

By: Michelle Dietz

Michelle Dietz — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:54:09 +0000

Fine ban drinking coffee, changing the radio station, switching cds while in the car; why don’t they ban rubbernecking, daydreaming, or for that matter enforce other laws like tailgating, unsafe lane changing, driving into the crosswalk while pedestrians are in it? People get into accidents for a multitude of reasons and its usually called bad judgement. Furthermore a police officer uses judgement to cite someone for unsafe driving whether its putting make-up on or shaving. Doesn’t our legislature have more important things on their plate?