Not all laws make sense
No bear wrestling in Missouri: Learn 12 American laws concerning animals
Image: Nataliya Vaitkevich
Most well-intentioned laws are created to make things easier for us. But, for different reasons, some of them have become obsolete over time. Many of these laws concern animals and, to our modern eyes, can seem too obvious in some cases and downright odd in others. Did you know about these 12?
1
No opening umbrellas on the street
Image: Edu Lauton
In Montgomery, Alabama, it is considered an offense to open an umbrella on a street for fear of spooking horses .
This raises questions about whether one should open an umbrella since the main use of it happens in the street.
2
No driving over 2000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard
Image: Andrea Lightfoot
In Hollywood, California, it is illegal to drive more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time .
Apparently, you can drive one thousand and nineteen hundred and ninety-nine sheep, no problem. But not two thousand at one time.
3
No loose cats without tail lights
Image: Pacto Visual
In Sterling, Colorado, cats may not run loose without having been fitted with a taillight . Maybe this originated in some road accident involving a feline but one has to wonder if this is the best method of action. Especially since attaching a taillight to a cat does not seem like an easy thing to do.
4
No educating dogs
Image: Caleb Fisher
For whatever reason, you may not educate dogs in Connecticut . Something must have happened at some point in history serious enough for the local legislators to forbid the Connecticuters from educating their dogs.
5
No leaving the ship, if you are a rat
Image: Joshua J. Cotten
In Tampa Bay, Florida, rats are forbidden by law to leave the ships docked at port. The spirit of the law probably requires ship owners to prevent rats from leaving the ship but, for some reason, the phrasing of the text makes it seem as if it is directed to the rats themselves.
6
No road crossing, if you are a chicken.
Image: Vidi Drone
In Quitman, Georgia, it is illegal for a chicken to cross the road . Quite probably, this law is directed to chicken owners so that they prevent their feathered friends from roaming on the roads and causing accidents. But, still, it should be more clearly stated.
7
No fishing from a giraffe’s back
Image: MARIOLA GROBELSKA
Who in their right mind would attempt to fish from a giraffe’s back , right? Apparently, this exact thing happened in Boise, Idaho, prompting the passing of a law to forbid this outrageous behavior from happening ever again.
8
No flying over the village, if you are a bee
Image: Dmitry Grigoriev
In Kirkland, Illinois, bees are not allowed to fly over the village or through any of its streets . How exactly did the legislators who passed that law expect to enforce it, we honestly do not know.
9
No lions at the movies
Image: Andrew Liu
In Baltimore, Maryland, it is illegal to take a lion to the movies . As it should be. No one should be taking live lions into a movie theater filled with people, ever, anywhere in the world. Not even if the showcased movie is The Lion King.
10
No pant-less horses
Image: Silje Midtgård
As with most of the other examples in this list, this is a law that -hopefully- no one is paying any attention to. Horses are required to wear pants at all times in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. Seriously, how do you put pants on a horse?
11
No laying eggs at night
Image: Anita Austvika
It is unlawful for chickens to lay eggs before 8 AM and after 4 PM in West Virginia. Thankfully for chickens, they sleep at night and are active during the day, which prevents them from breaking the law.
12
No pictures of rabbits in June
Image: Gary Bendig
The State of Wyoming doesn’t allow you to take a picture of a rabbit during the month of June . The reason for this curious law is, perhaps, more understandable than most of the previous ones, and it has to do with avoiding harassment of the local wildlife.
