Cars and dogs

Dogs travelling in an open tray of a utility truck (ute) or similar vehicle, must be restrained. This means the dog should be transported in an enclosure such as a cage or tethered to the vehicle so it can’t fall or escape from the vehicle.

This does not apply to accredited assistance dogs and working dogs used for droving or tending to stock.

Whilst there is no obligation to restrain dogs travelling in other types of vehicles, a driver must not drive with an animal on their lap. Therefore it is good practice to restrain your dog whilst travelling in a motor vehicle.