Aussies divided over dogs transported in utes

A driver has been called out for travelling at 110km/h while their pet dog was inside their ute tray, exposed to the elements as its owner flew down the highway.

A Sydney driver has been slammed for transporting their pet dog in the back of their ute, exposed to the elements, while travelling at 110km/h.

An image of the dog was captured and shared on social media by a fellow driver, who spotted the animal's head peeking up and over the ute tray.

The person questioned whether this was allowed, and Aussies were divided, with some calling it out as dangerous and a "horrific" way to transport your beloved pet, while others believed it was perfectly safe.

Aussies divided over dogs transported in utes

This isn't the first time the controversial method of transporting pets has been debated.

Last year a dog tied to the back of a ute on the Gold Coast caused uproar as the ute tray didn't have a lid, meaning the only thing keeping the dog safely on the moving vehicle was the lead tied around its neck and onto the ute.

Another similar instance occurred in Townsville, with the owner being called out as "stupid" and "irresponsible".

Yet dog owners have pushed back against criticism, with a Melbourne dog owner who copped backlash for the act telling Yahoo News last year his dog enjoys being on the back of his ute, meaning he has to "forcibly take him out" and his "dog jumps up there by himself every day".

Dogs need to be restrained on ute, RSPCA say

In NSW dogs can't be transported on a ute tray or the open back of a vehicle unless they are "sufficiently restrained or enclosed in such a manner as to prevent the dog from falling".

"RSPCA NSW encourages dog owners to consider safely restraining their dogs within the cabin of their vehicle with a safety-belt restraint, or within an enclosure or crate as this is generally safer, especially in the case of an accident or sudden braking," an RSPCA NSW spokesperson told Yahoo News.

It is important the restraint should only be long enough to "allow the dog to stand and lie down" but not so long that there is "risk of the dog jumping or falling from the moving vehicle".

It is unclear from the instance in Sydney whether the dog is tethered, however, the ute tray being up is a good indication the dog was being confined to the space, minimising the likelihood of it being injured or falling onto the road.

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