Keep them safe and sane in your moving vehicle
By Keith Turner
August 16, 2008
A post in the always informative and entertaining Up To Speed blog of the LA Times touched on a subject that is near and dear to our furry little hearts: DogCar safety.
Writer Ken Bensinger points out that at 2006 survey reports that only 21 percent of pet owners restraint their pets while driving in the car. And of those, only 12 percent actually use a restraint that buckles up to secure the pet to the vehicle.
That’s amazing. Especially when you consider the many dangers that an unrestrained dog faces in a moving vehicle. That’s why Bark Buckle Up co-founder Christina Selter has been touring the nation to spread the word about pet safety on the road. The San Diego-based non-profit educates drivers about safely transporting pets in vehicles and promotes tethering as the best solution.
Not only can untethered dogs get seriously injured in accidents, but 80-pound Dobermans and 4-pound Chihuahuas alike can become fearsome projectiles upon impact, hurtling through the air and possibly hurting passengers. (We’re not even going to mention the perils of flying pet porcupines.) On top of that, Selter says, “in a crash, a big problem is that first responders open the door, the pet runs out, it can bite someone, cause another crash or get hit by a car.”
As responsible dog lovers who would never think of putting our pets in peril, it seems unthinkable that we would risk their lives (and the lives of others) just because our pup prefers to roam free in the car.
