Animal Control is investigating a report of a dog being dragged behind a truck on the Douglas bridge.
Juneau Police Department received a call Friday afternoon that a red truck was spotted dragging a dog behind it on the bridge’s roundabout, Sergeant Shawn Phelps told the Empire on Saturday.
Several patrol cars tried to locate the truck but were unsuccessful, Phelps said, as the person who reported the dragging didn’t have an idea as to the truck’s direction of travel.
JPD had to pursue other priority calls and passed the case off to Animal Control, who have opened an investigation.
Officer Brett Riley with Gastineau Humane Society Animal Control couldn’t provide many details at press time as the investigation is still ongoing. Riley did say he’s recently seen an increase in the amount of unrestrained dogs in the backs of pickup trucks around Juneau.
The best way to travel with a dog is in the cab of your vehicle, Riley said. It’s not illegal to put them in the back of a truck, but should be done with care.
“Just leashing your dog in the back of a truck is not good enough. The city ordinance requires that you need to prevent that dog from falling out or being ejected from the back of the truck. It needs to be that the dog cannot jump out of the back of the truck,” Riley said.
That means restraining dogs with short leashes to keep them at least a foot from the side walls of a truck bed, Riley added, so a dog cannot jump out and hang from its leash.
The case is in Animal Control’s hands for now, but if they feel criminal charges are warranted, they could get JPD involved again, Phelps said. JPD often counts on Animal Control’s expertise when dealing with cases that include pets and animals.
Friday’s incident is unique, but not uncommon, Riley said.
“It does happen, not always in extreme cases like this but dogs do get ejected on the highway and get injuries,” Riley said. “Dogs get ejected in traffic accidents or if their drivers are making sharp turns. I saw a dog standing on somebody’s tool box on my way home yesterday in the back of a truck.”
