Louisiana Could Restrict How Dogs Travel in Pickup Beds

If you're looking for a small business to start up, think about moving to Louisiana. The House of Representatives just passed a law that requires any dogs being transported in the bed of a pickup truck on an interstate highway to travel inside a covered and secured container.

While Louisiana is neither in the top 10 or bottom 10 dog ownership states (it's about average, with less than 40 percent of households owning a dog), if you've spent any time there, you know there are a lot of pickups as well as a lot of dogs. And if you happen to be handy with a few tools, you can probably create a nice, little, portable dog house that can be strapped into the bed of any pickup and make a bit of money.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, a bill like this was proposed last year but was killed in the Louisiana Senate for being too restrictive. This new bill only applies to interstate highways and does not apply to other roads. Many other states have similar restrictions about transporting dogs in open beds as well.

If you live in Louisiana or a state with similar restrictions, here are a few solutions:

• Think about buying a cab or shell for your pickup. That will protect your dogs and shelter them from wind.
• Cross-tethering will allow the dogs more stability while you drive your truck, preventing them from sliding all over the bed floor.
• Although it is a little pricey, you can go the custom-built crate path, like those offered by Kustom Krates that are specifically designed for pickups, vans or SUVs.
• Finally, several companies offer pet harnesses to secure dogs to passenger seats inside vehicles.