Pet Auto Safety

Do you have a evacuation plan for your family in case of a fire? Did you include your pets in that plan? We have outlined some important tips which will help you include your pets in the fire evacuation plan.

First and most importantly, make sure your pets always wear their tags or have identifying tattoos or microchips. Animals tend to flee when terrified. So if your pet escapes the burning house before you can leash or crate him, there is still a chance they will be found and returned.

Know where your pets tend to hide. Fire is a scary thing and your pet will try to get as far away from it as possible and will go to a place where they feel safe. Some dogs hide during thunderstorms. Where does your dog hide? Cats tend to have all sorts of secret places they go to get away from it all. Do they go on top of the cupboards, in the closet, under the bed? Make sure you have a way to reach those special hiding places.

You should have an emergency kit for yourself and family. Don’t forget to put your pet’s things in the kit too. Helpful things to keep in the kit are leashes, pet food, any pet medications, and your pet’s veterinary information. If you have cats, make sure you have crates handy for them, or use a pillow case if needed.

Remember, your pets are important members of the family too. But if you can’t get to your pet, it is important that get out of the house as soon as possible. You can leave the door open as you leave. If you have a spare moment, open a window for them too. It sounds harsh, but you can’t help your pet if you get caught in the fire too. There is still hope that your pet will escape and you want to be around to take care of them and the rest of your family.

Make sure the airline as comprehensive information and guidelines for traveling pets. They should have a phone number specifically dedicated to owners with flying pets. Continental, for example, has a dedicated phone line for pet travelers.

Get an appropriately sized, airline approved dog carrier. Dog carrier specifications include proper ventilation; no wire kennels; a dog carrier large enough for the dog to sit, stand, turn around and lie down comfortably; no wheels on the dog carrier; two empty food dishes in the dog carrier; absorbent material on bottom of the dog carrier, such as a blanket; properly closing dog carrier (no locks).

Consider weather conditions - You need a backup for in case the airline determines that weather conditions are too extreme for pet travel.

Your dog’s veterinarian will need to issue a Health Certificate within ten days of departure.

Flying can be very stressful to your pet. You have probably considered tranquilizers for your pet, but I have found that veterinarians do not recommend this except in extreme circumstances. A tranquilized pet can not pant in hot weather (panting helps cool them down) or shiver in cold weather (shivering helps warm the body). If you think your dog will be too stressed for flying, try to find an alternative.

Although there are very strict regulations about animals flying, bad things can still happen. I heard a story on the Bonnie Hunt Show, where the dog in the kennel was left exposed to the pouring rain as the luggage was being put in. As a result, the dog was wet, the blanket was wet, everything was wet for the entire plane ride as the dog rode in cold terror in the baggage compartment of the plane. Thankfully, the dog was okay, but very very stressed.

Distractions which could cause a wreck:

• Nosing, licking, or otherwise pestering the driver.
• Trying to climb in the lap of the driver.
• Pacing back and forth from window to window.

Injury to themselves or other passengers:

• Injury to your dog’s eyes or nose from flying debris when their head is out the window.
• Broken bones, internal injuries, trauma, or death due to sudden stop, violent swerve, or car wreck.
• If a car wreck occurs, your dog could become a deadly projectile which could kill them and possibly other passengers.

Escaping the vehicle:

• Jumping out of a moving vehicle causing injury to themselves and possibly causing a wreck from you stopping suddenly or from other
  cars trying to avoid hitting them.
• Dog which is projected from or escapes from a wrecked vehicle could cause another wreck when it gets into the road.

Breaking the law:

• While it may not be against the law to have your dog unseatbelted, if law enforcement sees that your dog is a distraction you may be
  ticketed for unsafe driving.

Stress to your dog:

• Unharnessed or uncrated dogs can get stressed out in a car. Stopping, turning, etc can prevent them from keeping their balance. They
  don’t understand all the movements and can be stressed by it.
• Dogs can get carsick - especially little dogs who can’t see out the window.
• A stressed dog can vomit or make other types of messes in your car.

Our message does not mean that you shouldn’t take your dog with you in the car. We just want you to think about you and your dog’s safety when they are in the car. Consider a dog car seat belt, keeping them in a crate or pet car seat, or putting up a pet barrier between the front and back seats in order to keep them in the back. For more information on dog car safety, visit http://www.petautosafety.com/pet-travel-articles.

Jennifer from Minnesota recently emailed us about her order of the Guardian Gear Dog Seat Belt s. We have copied her email below:

“I received these harnesses and have used them quite a few times in the last couple of days…

Thank you!”

Thank you, Jennifer, for keeping your dogs safe in the car! And thank you for sharing your experience with us. We love dogs and are always glad to hear great experiences from other dog lovers. My dogs, Sephi and Maya wear the exact same brand. Maya is the one pictured at the top of this blog. And yes, she is wearing her Guardian Gear Dog Seat Belt.

Many dogs love to ride in the car. But a car ride doesn’t appeal to all dogs. Some dogs tend to get car sick which can lead to vomiting or voiding on your nice upholstery. So, in essence, to prevent your dog from vomiting or voiding in the car, you need to help keep them from getting car sick in the first place.

Have you ever used seat belts for dogs only to find that your dog gets tangled up in it? This is what generally happens if your dog moves around a lot while wearing the seats belt for dogs which uses a loop-system. What is a loop-system on seat belts for dogs? It has a loop on the back of the harness where the seat belt of the car goes through. But the seat belt of the car doesn’t lay flat against the seat unless your dog holds still - and many dogs don’t hold still. When your dog moves around, the seat belt of the car pulls away from the seat. If your dog tries to turn around, as some dogs will do, their legs get all tangled up in the seat belt of the car.

To avoid that, try using seat belts for dogs which uses a strap instead of a loop. Guardian Gear and Cruising Companion seat belts for dogs use a single strap which buckles directly into the seat belt receptacle of your car. The strap attaches to the back of the dog’s harness with a swivelled hook. So when your dog turns around, the strap doesn’t get twisted. The seat belt straps of the car are not even used so there is nothing to tangle your dog’s legs in.

We found a very informative website for people who don’t want to leave their dogs at home when they travel. The website, http://www.dogfriendly.com/, has lots of information on places you and your dog (or dogs) can go together. If you want a hotel which allows dogs of all sizes, Dog Friendly has it. If you want to know which beaches allow dogs, which parks allow dogs off leash, or which tourist attractions allow dogs, Dog Friendly has that information too. This website started over 10 years ago and is still going strong. They add more and more dog-friendly places all the time.

We recently received correspondence from one of our customers who purchased the Skybox Pet Booster Seat. Pam from Rockford, Illinois wrote us a wonderful letter about her experience. With her permission, we are sharing it here. First, she wrote about why she purchased a pet car seat. Her little Chihuahua mix named Salsa loves to ride in the car and he loves to look out the window. She used to let him ride in her lap until one day, she had to make a sudden stop. Poor Salsa got tossed into the gap of the steering wheel. Pam couldn’t turn and ended up hitting a car in front of her which she might have avoided if she had been able to swerve. Salsa was terrified and yelped for several minutes. Pam couldn’t leave the scene to take Salsa to the vet, so she comforted Salsa as best as she could while she exchanged information with the other driver and waited for police. But thankfully, by the time Pam got Salsa to the vet he was okay.

The next day, Pam bought our Skybook Pet Booster Seat. Pet Auto Safety.com had lots of car seats to choose from, but Pam chose the Skybox Pet Booster Seat because its orange color is close to the same color as Salsa. It works great, she said. At first, she thought Salsa wouldn’t like it because he was so used to sitting in her lap. But Salsa was far more interested in looking out the window than in sitting in her lap and the Skybox Pet Booster Seat allows him to do this in comfort. The Skybox Pet Booster Seat has a strap which attaches to the back of Salsa’s harness, so Salsa can look out the window in safety and Pam can feel comfortable knowing that Salsa is safe.

Thanks, Pam, for sharing this information with us! If you have a story about an incident with your dog in the car, share it with us. You don’t have to buy any of our products in order to share your story, but we would like to hear that your dog now rides safely in the car.

Are you aware that after the holidays animal shelters get overloaded with pets?  Every year, puppy mill breeders work extra hard to have lots of dogs to sell for the holidays.  These dogs are then often given as gifts.  Sadly, however, it doesn’t work out and a many dogs get taken to the shelter.  Dogs who thought they were going to get a happy new home find themselves homeless.  If you are looking for a new dog, consider adopting.  Why buy a dog when you can adopt.

 We did some volunteer work this weekend at the Lawrence Humane Society in Lawrence, Kansas.  We had lots of adorable dogs and puppies to show.  One of my particular favorites was a Masen.  Masen is a three month old sheltie mix (not a lab mix like the website shows).  He is not only extra cute, as puppies tend to be, he is also very smart.  We were able to teach him to sit and lay down in a very short time.  But unless someone takes him home soon, he will forget what he learned.  He needs a new home with someone who has time to play with and train a new and energetic little puppy.

 Check out Masen and other adorable dogs up for adoption at http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=15241182

Pet Auto Safety.com has recently added two new products. Well, they are not really new as they have been on the market for some time. But this is the first time we are offering them on our website.

The first one is the Kurgo Wander Dog Car Hammock in black. We have had the tan Wander Dog Car Hammock on our site for well over a year now. And it has been so successful that we have decided to add the black Wander Dog Car Hammock.

The second one is the Full-Size Lookout Perch Pet Car Seat. We have had the Half-Bench Lookout Perch Pet Car Seat was added to our site last year, but we did not add the Full-Size Lookout Perch Pet Car Seat until this new year.

Both the Wander Dog Car Hammock and the Lookout Perch Pet Car Seat are great pet auto safety devices for your dog. The Wander Dog Car Hammock keeps your dog in the back seat and from getting thrown onto the floor. They also have zipper openings for the seat belt of your car so that your dog can wear a dog car seat belt and be doubly protected. The Lookout Perch Pet Car Seat is great for larger dogs up to 70 pounds. It is the biggest pet car seat we have. Strapping your dog into the Lookout Perch Pet Car Seat provides as much protection as a dog car seat belt, but is much more comfortable.