From Vancouver to Lancashire: Cycling, Dogs, and the Law
Like most people, I walk my dog several times a day around my neighborhood. Now and then we, me and my dog, like a change of scenery, so go to the Vancouver’s seawall. When the weather’s fine, we’re usually see at least one person cycling with their dog.
Cycling with a dog can be dangerous, especially when:
- The dog is running all over the place instead of running along side the bicycle.
- The dog wants to come and sniff my dog.
- The guy tries to keep his bike on the right side of the path, unsuccessfully I might add.
- To make matters even more difficult, he’s has his backpack hanging from the handlebars. The backpack flaps back and forth as he tries to keep his bike straight.
In some places, like the UK, biking with a dog is illegal. There have been at least two recorded incidents in which the police not only pulled over but actually arrested the dog owners and seized the dogs, citing the potential danger.
One guy in Blackburn, Lancashire, was fined £260 plus £340 in court costs. He also had to pay a legal bill of over £2,000 for his defense (source: Daily Mail, a UK newspaper).
A woman in Burnley, Lancashire, was arrested and strip‑searched !!! for using a bike harness with her dog. She was detained for three hours and ultimately fined £40 (source: Daily Mail, a UK newspaper). The Daily Mail did not give the details of why she was stripped-searched!
Like I said, it’s dangerous to cycle with a dog…
Camera: Canon 7D ISO 100 and 1/320
Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4 @97mm and f/6.3
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