Car Safety For Dogs

In my job I would often have to visit patients in the hospital right after they were in a serious car accident as their case manager and coordinator to help them navigate through the complex healthcare and insurance system to obtain the care they required. Sad and stressful as that is seeing a person with head to toe multiple fractures, and oftentimes a head injury, if they were awake and able to talk they sometimes would share that they were traveling with their dog. Imagine telling a person that not only was their life forever changed from their own injuries, but hearing them grieve from “Your dog did not make it.”

Being born in the 70’s those of us that survived traveling in cars, we remember that many times no one was secured in, people nor pets. As kids we rode in the open back or trucks and El Caminos. Families just did not know any better.

Fast forward to today and our cars are safer, and we have better seat belts and restraints even for our dogs! Unfortunately I think many people are still not aware of the fact that just a little preparation prior to driving off, can save lives, including your dog's life.

Even a smaller accident can cause a person and pet injury if not well restrained. And not only is it awful to see a pet in pain, medical treatment for pets is very expensive.

Another scenario, is what if you were in an accident and your pet survived but at the accident scene your dog was scared and escaped the vehicle, only to be hit by ongoing traffic that was unable to hit your dog. This could have been avoided.

You still see dogs in moving vehicles today unrestrained with their heads out the window (I know, I know, that this is a great site to see, sniffer freedom for miles of great smells!). Then you see the dog pacing in the back seat, and then popping their head up in the front seat. A dog that is unrestrained can distract the driver, block the view of the driver, put their paw weight on the car mechanicals, or other dangers that can cause an accident.

If you are wondering how you can protect your fur baby in your car and your family, here are some tips:

• It does not matter which location you are driving to or how far, always restrain your dog in a proper car tested restraint
• Look for a seat belt tether that has been crash tested for safety, this will make it easy for you to quickly secure the tether to your dog's harness
• Make sure that the harness fits the dog properly and they get acclimated to it prior to using it in the car.
• Always secure your dog with harness and tether in the car's back seat when possible (reason: the front seat passenger side has an airbag that could hurt your dog).
• Or alternatively secure your dog in a crash tested crate in the back seat, closed and securely strapped into with the car’s seat belt or the vehicles LATCH/ISOFIX anchors
• If you want to let your dog get fresh air out the window, just a small crack will do wonders while they are properly restrained in the back seat. They will love you for this!

For the Doggos: I know you want your pup cup and you want your picture on Instagram, TikTok and so forth. So ask your pet parent to take you to your favorite pup cup location in your seat restraint. You will still be able to get a treat, get your picture taken, and you will look great!