AUGUSTA, ME (WBTS) Tail wagging, tongue out, feeling the breeze: for a dog, there may be no greater joy than riding in a car, with its head out of the window.

But in Maine, that could soon become a criminal act.

A proposed law, called “An Act Concerning the Transporting of Dogs in Passenger Vehicles,” would require harnesses or tethers for dogs riding in moving vehicles.

Dogs would not be allowed to ride in the front seat area, or put their head out of the window of a moving car.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends restraints for dogs in cars, but some dog owners say the proposed Maine law goes too far, without good reason.

“Do they have any evidence that a dog has jumped out of a window and hurt itself?” asked Don Sargent, playing with his dog, Zoey at a Portland dog park. “This is the most absurd thing I’ve actually heard of.”