Man cited for carrying dog on motorcycle

TUCKERTON, N.J., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Authorities in New Jersey said a man cited for riding his motorcycle with his pug on his lap told them he had been riding with the canine for years.

Victor "Buddy" Amato, chief law enforcement officer for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said an SPCA officer spotted Gyula Szatmari, 56, of Tuckerton riding his motorcycle with the dog on his lap in the rain, the Asbury Park Press reported Wednesday.

Amato said a police officer pulled Szatmari over on Route 18 and he was issued citations for careless driving and the improper transportation of an animal.

He said Szatmari, who told officers he had been riding his motorcycle with the dog for years, had been warned last year against transporting the pug on the motorcycle.