Humans aren’t the only ones who have to follow the rules. It doesn’t take much legislative history research to turn up an animal law or two, but if you keep at it long enough, your law research will eventually yield some pretty weird legal statutes.
Here are just a few strange laws that’ll make you laugh harder than a hyena.
Wait, You Can’t Go Into the Dog Park Without Wearing a What?
When writing a legal statute, getting the language and rhetoric right can be a little tricky. Legal English is a dialect that’s often used when writing laws to have a dramatic effect. It often has an unusual word order, as its grammatical structures are closer to French than English, which would explain the confusion some dog owners had in Belvedere, California. The Golden State city has a legal statute that says, “Dogs are not allowed in public without their masters on leashes.”
Gorillas Have to Ride Shotgun.
Which is weirder? The fact that Massachusetts doesn’t ban gorillas from riding in cars, or the fact that the Bay State has a legal statute mandating that gorillas must ride in the front seat of cars when traveling by automobile?
Keep ‘Em Separated.
Some laws are put into action with the right intention, but may ultimately have some kooky effects. Like most places, North Carolina doesn’t allow animal fights. As a result, pet owners in the Tar Heel State have to keep their dogs and cats separated.
No Fun For Moose.
In Alaska, Moose aren’t allowed to have any fun. The Last Frontier has made it illegal for its citizens to either feed the majestic creatures booze, or push them out of planes.
If your own legislative research has turned up any weird legal statutes like a dog digging for bones, feel free to share in the comments.