Dog and cat car safety

You would never even think of backing out of your driveway without your two-year-old son or daughter secured safely in a car seat, right? Whether you are heading toward the bank for a quick transaction at the drive-thru or embarking on a daytrip with the whole family, safety should always be your number one priority when it comes to traveling with children. The same is true for pets.

Crates vs. Harnesses

Since the seatbelts in our vehicles are designed exclusively to protect people, they will not safeguard your canine passenger in the event of an accident. In face, using a conventional seatbelt on your precious pet could injure (or even kill) him if you are in a crash. So what is the best way to keep dogs safe while riding? Contrary to popular belief, crates are not advisable to safely transport dogs in automobiles. The tried and tested method is using a car harness – one that has been made specifically for canine travel.

Your dog's car harness should have no collar, as this could choke your dog. It should also be orthopedically correct to prevent injury from the apparatus itself. Make sure that the harness you choose is comfortable and that it allows your dog to sit, stand, and lie down. If your dog is not comfortable, he will let you know how miserable he is throughout his trip, effectively ruining yours.

Keeping everyone safe

In addition to saving canine lives, harnesses also help keep human passengers safe. Dogs are naturally curious creatures. Left to roam around a moving vehicle, they will inevitably become a dangerous distraction to the driver, either by barking at other vehicles on the road or by seeking attention from their fellow passengers. An unrestrained animal can even blatantly cause an accident by jumping towards the pedals or steering wheel. For everyone's safety, pets must be safely restrained when the car is moving.

Even if a person is wearing his or her seatbelt, a 30-pound dog can exert 900 pounds of force in a 30-mph collision. This means that an average-sized Beagle can seriously injure a human family member if he plunges from his seat and into someone else. (Imagine the force that a large golden retriever exerts!) And the dog will almost certainly fare far worse than his human companion. A compound tragedy like this can be averted by simply utilizing a safety harness.

Backseat barriers

Another piece of safety equipment is the backseat barrier. Although this strong metal structure restricts your pet to the rear area of your automobile, it does not offer him maximum protection during an accident. An unrestrained dog can be thrown into this wall upon impact, or even as the result of an especially hard stop. Again, liken your dog to your children. Ask yourself if you would allow your kids to ride unrestrained in this area.

In addition to being the safest option, canine restraints are required by law for automotive travel in many states. No crate in production today is engineered for the safe transport of a pet in a car. For these important reasons, AniMed recommends using a harness made specifically for canine car travel.

Never leave your pet alone

No matter what the weather and no matter how brief a time you'll be away, never leave your pet alone in a parked car. As with allowing pets to ride unrestrained, many states have laws against leaving pets in closed vehicles. During the winter months, cars hold in the cold and can cause an animal to freeze to death.

Conversely, when the weather is warmer, the temperatures inside a parked vehicle quickly rise to deadly levels, even with the windows cracked open. Overheating can kill an animal in minutes. Parking in the shade offers little protection, as the sun shifts during the course of the day.

And yes, this rule applies when you're on a long trip with the kids and must stop to eat along the way. Select restaurants that offer take-out food so you can eat in the car, or take turns so one parent or guardian can take the dog for a walk while another adult goes inside with the kids.