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New footage emerges of motorist seen pulling dog by side of car along Darenth Park Avenue, Dartford

New footage has emerged appearing to show a dog being forced to run alongside a moving car.

The video, which was shared online, was taken in Darenth Park Avenue, Dartford, by the junction of Moore Close.

It appears to be a repeat of a similar incident KentOnline reported on earlier this month in which two dogs were seen attached by leads to either side of a vehicle and were made to run.

Both canines, which were running alongside the car to keep up with it, appeared to be sighthound breeds and were filmed in the same place.

The dashcam footage was met with outrage on social media.

At the time, police confirmed they were called to “a report that vehicles were being used to make dogs run alongside them”.

They notified the RSPCA who they say will be leading and investigating any allegations of animal cruelty.

A driver was spotted pulling a dog alongside a car in Darenth Park Avenue, Dartford
A driver was spotted pulling a dog alongside a car in Darenth Park Avenue, Dartford

Now, a new video shows a motorist appearing to do the same thing again. The incident was captured last night (January 23) just before 8pm.

A driver who witnessed it said: “This is phone footage from a passenger, but I also have dashcam footage as well which is being passed to the police.”

It also appears to be the same car – a grey Toyota RAV4 – in both videos.

On a local Facebook group, one person commented: “Sat here mouth open watching that. Disgusting person doing that to a dog.”

Another added: “That poor animal could easily get injured if the car swerves for some reason or any type of accident.

Earlier this month, shared dashcam footage shows a motorist appearing to do the same thing
Earlier this month, shared dashcam footage shows a motorist appearing to do the same thing

“I don’t care if he’s saying he’s disabled. If you can’t walk your dog due to disability then pay someone that can. Don’t put your animals at risk. You chose to get a dog.”

Rule 57 of the Highway Code states that when inside a vehicle, dogs or other animals must be suitably restrained.

Dogs can also legally be transported in a car trailer, but they need to be safe and properly restrained.

However, there is no specific law relating to dogs being tied to moving vehicles in the UK.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We would strongly advise owners not to exercise their dogs in this way as there are obvious risks and they can easily become distressed.

The dog looked to have been dragged by a lead as the car pulled away
The dog looked to have been dragged by a lead as the car pulled away

“There are also real dangers posed to other road users and because of that we urge anyone who has witnessed this incident to contact Kent Police.”

Margaret Todd, the founder and boss of Lord Whisky Animal Sanctuary, based in Stelling Minnis, also says such acts are “dangerous” for the pet.

Speaking previously in relation to the first incident, she told KentOnline she had “never heard of a case like this before” and that the driver “clearly had not thought it through”.

She added: “I can’t understand why someone would do something like this. The dog should be protected at all times.

“The dog could get hit by another car or bike as they were going past, so it is a dangerous thing to do.”

A police spokeswoman said: “We are aware of video footage of vehicle being used to make dogs run alongside them in Darenth Wood Road.

“The RSPCA are aware of these incidents, they will continue to review the evidence and investigate any allegations of animal cruelty.”

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