‘PAWS-OFF APPROACH’: Cop pulls over motorbike driver with dog strapped to chest

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A police officer in Australia found himself on paw patrol after he busted a woman driving a motorbike with a large dog seated in front of her.

Footage released by Queensland Police show a Sunshine Coast Highway Patrol officer riding on his own motorcycle when he ended up at a traffic light alongside a woman and her furry friend while conducting patrols in Alexandra Headland, a coastal suburb of Maroochydore.

Video shows the cop telling the driver to pull over, laughingly adding, “You know you can’t do that,” motioning toward the obvious.

“So you can’t ride with the dog on the bike.”

The officer said: “I must say, it’s the first time I’ve seen it with the whole harnessing thing before.”

The rider responded she was not aware that she wasn’t allowed to travel with her dog on the bike, explaining, “I bought this off Temu.”

The good-natured cop replied: “Well, unfortunately you can’t be riding around with the dog in between your arms.”

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The woman was ultimately issued a $376 ticket for riding with the animal, police said.

Toting a dog in that manner can obstruct a driver’s view of the road and hinder control of the vehicle, Senior Sgt. Shane Panoho, of the Sunshine Coast Highway Patrol,  said in a news release.

“We know how attached some people are to their pets, but it’s best to apply a paws-off approach when it comes to our roads,” he said.

“The rider had purchased the harness online and did not think through the safety implications, particularly if the dog was to react to other road users, pedestrians or animals.”

He added: “Although the dog seemed to be comfortable on the bike, we urge riders to practice safe and responsible behaviour on our roads.”