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Garden State drivers who fail to buckle up their cat or dog could face criminal charges as well as fines totaling up to $1,000, according to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

“You should not be driving down the road under any circumstances with a dog driving the car,” said Elyse Coffey, a spokesperson for the New Jersey MVC. “We don’t want dogs driving with the steering wheel and we don’t want cats who sit on the dashboard.”

State officials are teaming up with the NJ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to enforce laws requiring motorists to “properly restrain their pets.”