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SOUTHERN COLORADO -- You probably see it almost every day during the Spring and Summer months -- dogs riding loose in the back of a pickup truck.

It's not illegal in Colorado, but it is in other states and parts of Canada.

The reason: dogs who jump or fall out of a moving vehicle often suffer horrifying injuries or even death.

Injuries can include bone fractures, severe lacerations, broken teeth or something called degloving, which happens when the dog's paws hit the pavement with severe force.

"It's kind of like pulling off your skin like a glove," Sue Gravlin, Staff Veterinarian with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR), said. "The skin cannot be placed back, so you are dealing with wound management for months."

Even worse, the ve terinarian may have no choice but to euthanize the animal because the injury is so bad.

"We have gotten animals in already this Spring that haven't made it," Erica Meyer with HSPPR said.

Last year, a dog named Clifford was found by a road crew on the side of I-25 in Monument after falling off a truck moving at a high rate of speed.  Clifford was lying in a ditch, and animal control officers passed him by at least once before finally coming to his aide.

"He was found in a pool of his own blood," Meyer said. "They had to put him on a stretcher and take him in for immediate medical care."

Fortunately, Clifford recovered from his injuries, which included fractures and lacerations. Now his adopted family is trying to spread the word about the dangers of unsecured pets in moving vehicles, whether it's inside the car or in the bed of a truck. That's because dogs have been known to jump out of open windows.

"We always harness our dogs when they go in the car, whether it's to the vet or wherever," Teri Cannava said. "It just keeps them safe."

Cannava and other animal activists said they want state lawmakers to pass a bill to make it illegal to drive with an unsecured pet in the back of a truck.

But until that happens, HSPPR offers these safety tips for pet owners:

* Always keep animals harnessed when riding inside a vehicle
* If riding in the back of a truck, make sure the dog is kenneled and that the kennel is tightly secured to the truck itself.
* Never leash a dog to the back of a truck, as they could strangle themselves if they fall or jump out.

"It is illegal in some states to have them in the back of a truck not secured," Meyer said. "We kind of wish that would be a law here because it would up the care for animals in our community, and we would see fewer accidents."