Idaho law makes dog racing under any circumstances a felony even if there’s no betting on the races and only dachshunds, aka “wiener dogs”, will race the 30 to 40 foot race course. Law enforcement authorities, light hearted embodiments of reason and sound judgment that they are, seriously threatened arrests for such a race. Thus the dachshund race at Boise’s “Arena-Weina Extravaganza” was canceled as noted at Lowering the Bar and at Overlawyered.
Of course felonious dachshund racing is distinguished from dog sled racing. Dog sled racing has been legal in Idaho for at least a century because dogs pulling sleds don’t race each other.
It is difficult to respect laws which are irrational in their scope. It’s also impossible to respect police who, with the mental rigidity of two year olds, threaten arrest and criminal prosecution for conducting a fun race of wiener dogs.
After all, in a nation where local law enforcement and state attorneys general refuse to defend or enforce laws they don’t like, why can’t local police officers occasionally assume some responsibility as adults to permit an occasional and obviously benign activity?
© 5/6/2016 Lawrence B. Hunt of Hunt & Associates, P.C. All rights reserved.
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