Man in doghouse after walking pet while in car

LONDON -- An English dog owner has been fined after taking his pet for a stroll while driving next to him in his car. Prosecutors said Paul Railton was spotted driving at low speed along a country lane in December, holding his dog's leash through the car window as the animal trotted alongside. Railton pleaded guilty Monday to not being in proper control of a vehicle. His lawyer, Paul Donoghue, said 23-year-old Railton acknowledged "it was a silly thing to do and there was an element of laziness" while exercising his lurcher, a type of crossbred sighthound. Railton was ordered by magistrates in Consett, northeast England, to pay a $100 fine, plus costs. He also received three more penalty points on his license and is now barred from driving for six months.