pet connection

It seems that the subject of buckle-up laws for dogs is gaining speed throughout the automotive and pet-loving communities. A recent article on ConsumerAffairs.com discusses in great length the need for states to enact laws requiring pet owners to safely secure their dogs in moving vehicles.

So far, no state has a law requiring pets to be crated or harnessed inside a vehicle. However, 26 states, including California, have laws on the books requiring that you secure your pet in the back of a pickup truck, but say nothing about securing them in the cabin.

This issue is what the organization called Bark-BuckleUp is trying to change. You’ll recall that this same group recently took its educational message directly to the auto-buying public by hosting an informational show booth at the San Diego Auto Show.

The ConsumerAffairs article goes on to quote Dr. Alicia Faggella, of the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, Oregon, who provided some of the important reasons that a dog should be buckled or crated while riding in a vehicle.

• Pets can cause an accident by jumping in the driver’s lap, distracting the driver, or blocking the driver’s vision. Small dogs can also get under the pedals;

• Pets can become “missiles” if they’re in an accident – or if the driver makes a hard stop or quick turn. This can kill or severely injure not only the animal, but also the people in the vehicle;

• When left unrestrained in a parked car, pets can dislodge the parking brake causing the car to roll down a hill – into another car or person;

• Unrestrained pets in the back of a pick-up can be severely injured or killed by falling or jumping out of a moving vehicle or hitting the cab when the truck stops short.

Until states make it mandatory to secure a pet, education and public awareness are the answers to this worrisome issue. Harnesses and crates may seem like a hassle to some people who are used to allowing their pup to roam free, but how many of those same folk would ever allow their children to do the same?

Interestingly, there is one auto manufacturer who is stepping up to the plate to make it easier to secure our four-legged friends. Volvo has teamed up with Bark-BuckleUp to help educate the public.

“This seems to be a reasonable extension with what we’ve been doing for years to protect people,” said Dan Johnson, spokesman for Volvo. “We’ve had a campaign for years about buckling children up in cars. So . . . trying to campaign to get people to properly restrain their pets seems to fit with what we want to do for safety.”

Here’s the full story.

Volvo has two types of restraints that pet owners can add — as options — to its wagons, sport utility vehicles and the C30 coupe: A cage structure that goes in the back of the vehicle and a metal or nylon cargo net that comes down from the roof.

The key to this entire issue of securing our pets is that until legislation is enacted, we all need to take personal responsibility for the safety of ourselves and our loved ones.

It’s quite simple: Secure your dog before you drive.