Pets, like people, have places to go and need safe, reliable transportation.
With 69 million pet owners in the country, chances are you or someone you know owns a pet. And those pets need to get to the groomer, the vet or the dog park or along on the family vacation.
So it’s good to know what precautions to take to ensure the safety of our traveling pets.
Rule No. 1: Make sure your pets are restrained in the car.
Veterinarian Lee Burstiner, an emergency clinician at Brandon Veterinary Specialists, knows what happens when people don’t.
He has treated pets that have bounced out of truck beds, suffered injuries to their eyes because of flying debris or fell onto the road because car doors were not closed.
Besides restraining your pets, it’s also a good idea to lock doors and roll up windows while traveling (with the air conditioning on, of course).
Every year, about 1.5 million accidents are caused by distraction - and pets are the third biggest distraction in cars, say statistics complied by Cars.com, an online resource that helps consumers buy cars.
Unrestrained pets can hop from window to window and from front seat to back seat. They can dive into the floorboard and block the driver from hitting the gas or brakes.
Luckily, there are plenty of products on the market that make it easy to buckle up Bowzer.
There are harnesses of all sizes to buckle dogs safely into the seat or cargo area of a car.
Canine-designed car seats hook into the car’s existing seat belt system and have a safety hook that attaches to the pet’s harness. Many pet car seat models are elevated, allowing for the pet to gaze out the window.
Owners of larger breed dogs may find a barrier system to be most effective. Dividers can be purchased to contain your pet in the cargo area. They generally go behind the last row of seats in an SUV, extending to the ceiling and creating a safe, enclosed space for pets.
However, if the dog has too much space in a cargo area, additional forms of restraint will prevent it from being tossed about in an accident.
Securing cats and other small critters can be simple. Select a sturdy travel (or airline) kennel that is the right size for your pet. Be sure that the carrier is not too big. Remember, the pet should just have room to stand up and turn around comfortably.
Harness systems are available that will buckle the kennel securely into the back seat or cargo area of the vehicle. That way, kitties or other critters are confined, but the enclosure will not be launched if there’s a collision.
It should be obvious that it’s a bad idea to transport a pet in a truck bed, flatbed or convertible. Pets are safer when confined within the vehicle.
However, you can legally transport your pet in an open vehicle if it is confined by a secured, well-ventilated container of proper size or properly tethered.
However, keep in mind that inadequate tethering can lead to another tragic outcome if the pet is launched from the vehicle during a collision and dragged by the car.
You also should be sure to have a collar on your pet and a leash available, in case you need to leave your vehicle. And be sure to have current identification tags and a permanent microchip on your pet, in case you become separated.
It’s also important not to leave a pet unattended in a car. Even when the windows are slightly cracked for ventilation, the interior heat in a car can become deadly in 15 minutes or less. Both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have ordinances that prohibit you from leaving pets alone in a vehicle.
Beyond keeping your pet safe, you can also help keep it from becoming sick while traveling.
“Generally, problems will happen within the first few miles,” explains veterinarian Steven Odland of Woodland’s Animal Hospital in Oldsmar.
If your pet isn’t used to auto travel and you have a trip planned, Odland suggests taking it for short car rides on an empty stomach in advance of your departure.
“Just like you wouldn’t eat before going on a roller coaster ride, we suggest fasting your pet the night before and giving a little water before your trip to avoid car sickness,” Odland suggests. “Fasting works better than medication in most circumstances.”
Pets that drool, whine, pace and pant in the car probably are good candidates for sedation. Talk to your family veterinarian about options in advance of your trip so that you can do a “trial run.”
If you’re looking for pet restraints, a recent issue of Fido Friendly magazine offers this list of suppliers:
Ruff Rider - Specially designed safety restraints; (720) 249-2986, http://www.ruffrider.com.
Snoozer Pet Products - Comfort and elevated seating; 1-800-635-9755, http://www.snoozer petproducts.com.
Fido Rido - For smaller dogs; 1-877-709-2154, www .fidorido.com.
Tug N Hug - Pet harness goes from car restraint to walking harness; (520) 366-0445, http://www.tugnhug.com.
Hunter K-9 - Travel gear including restraints; 1-866-878-7795, http://www.hunterk9.com.
BatziBelt - Seat belts and truck belts; (714) 52-8413, http://www.batzi.com.
CRITTER CALENDAR
All About Puppies
Discover everything you need to know about raising your new puppy from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Azalea Recreation Center, 1600 72nd St. N., St. Petersburg. Stop Pet Overpopulation Together (SPOT) is sponsoring this seminar, which covers house training, crate training, basic nutrition and exercise, and how to handle chewing, barking, jumping, biting and escaping.
The speaker will be trainer Maria Ryan.
The seminar is free for SPOT members or a $5 donation for nonmembers. To reserve a seat, call (727) 545-3463 or go to http://www.spotusa.org.
Big Dog, Cool Cat Day
