Taking Your Pup for A Drive: Make Sure Everyone Stays Alive

Road trips are a fun, and easy way to travel with your pets, however, it can be dangerous for all involved if simple safety is ignored. As responsible humans, we get in the car, buckle up our kids, buckle ourselves in, all to ensure our personal safety. When taking our pup along for the ride, why do so many of us overlook the need to also buckle up our FurBabies?

Everyday, as I drive around, I see dogs siting on top of their owners laps, both drivers and passengers alike. These pups are hanging their heads out windows, moving from window to window, trying to take it all in, and they seem to be in heaven. I have been guilty of this too, and unfortunately, had to learn the hard way before making my pup’s safety a priority, along with everyone else in the vehicle.

Taking my FurBaby to work with me one morning, I loaded her into her hard sided travel kennel and I placed her behind my seat. Halfway to the office, my vehicle was stuck by a negligent driver, totaling it. Thankfully no human was hurt. Sadly, that could not be said for my pup. Upon impact, the kennel, with my pup inside, flew forward with tremendous force, striking the back of the drivers seat. The kennel did not protect her from injury. The force of the impact ruptured a vertebrae in her neck, for which she required lengthy treatment and rehabilitation. She is doing much better, but still has her days of discomfort, all resulting from the accident. If I would have taken the seatbelt, ran it through the handle on the kennel and buckled her in, this could have been prevented.

Please learn from my mistake. The laws of physics apply to humans and pets alike. Unfortunately one of our adoptive parents also, tragically, learned this the hard way. On a beautiful fall day, she decided to drive up the canyon to see the vibrant fall colors painting the mountains. She took her pup, just like every time before. He loved to feel the wind in his face while sticking his head out the window. The canyon road curved and turned as she drove. On one of the bends, her pup’s weight and balance shifted just enough, physics took over, and he fell out the window to the unforgiving pavement below. Tragically, her family had to say goodbye to their FurBaby way too soon. Her heartache was deep. She struggled to forgive herself. She knew this tragic event could have been prevented if she had used a simple safety restraint.

Do not risk an event like this happening to you. Take the necessary steps to secure your pups when driving, It may save their life and yours. Keep pups off of your lap, from under your feet, and from freely moving about your vehicle. This will distract from your ability to operate your vehicle safely. Do not allow a fun road trip to end in tragedy.

Pet safety seats and restraints can be purchased for minimal cost online and at your local pet stores. When driving make everyone’s safety a priority, people and pooches alike.