Pet Lovers

[CrazyDaisy]

Crash tested crates secured in the back seat.  It is my job to protect them.

[CrazyDaisy]

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@qualitygal wrote:

On another post, a lady spoke of being hit by another car and the pain of the seat belt and the air bag has left her in pain. 

My husband years ago was also hit that way and it totaled his truck. He had sunglasses on and that airbag did a number on him.  But he's still here.

I do think about riding with my little girl on my lap and in my arms.  She doesn't get to hang out the window, I don't trust her.  Besides that, they speak of things getting into their eyes when that's allowed.  That's up to the owners, not me.

But, does your pet ride in a seat, in a cage, or your lap?

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Have a friend who let his dog ride in his lap.  He had a fender bender accident, enough of an impact that the air bag deployed. Dog was between his chest and the air bag.  He says he still has nightmares of that sound.

[CrazyDaisy]

Forgetting the safety issues for the dog and the other passengers, having a unrestrained dog in the car is a distraction.  Some states are now requiring all pets to be secured while in the car.

[qvcfreak]

Khloe travels in the back seat, her carrier, seat belted in

[CamilleP]

My Cairn and Scottie ride in the back of my Honda CRV in size 200 Vari-Kennels that are strapped down to the cargo hooks with nylon strapping tensioned with a ratcheting "come-along".  My DH has used 4" air ducting to channel air from the front air vents to both crates so they have good airflow winter and summer.  My dogs are protected from flying debris in case of a wreck and from suffering severe injury from being thrown any distance around the interior of the car as well.  They will also be unlikely to get loose in a crash and run out in the road to be hit by another car.  I've had small terriers since 1985, and while I've never yet had a wreck with my dogs in the car, I just couldn't live with myself if I took a chance and either or both were injured or killed and I could have prevented it with a crate.  Re: harnesses, after seeing the results of crash testing, I quit deluding myself and re-installed the crates, most harnesses will just crush a rib cage or the neck will be snapped by the force of the crash and the sudden jerk of the harness.  Just not worth the chance!

[SeaMaiden]

We rarely  ever take our dogs for rides. Maybe three times a year in the winter up to the grocery store. And on trips to the vets for checkups.  They are just in the van on the  back seat.  I know it is not safe... I do not contain them or belt them. That is why I rarely take them anywhere .

[noodleann]

Cats, and in carriers. Cats have a tendency to get under your feet in a car, which can cause accidents if they're in the way of the brake pedal. One rescue I adopted from a distance spent most of the 2-hour trip home lying on the dashboard in front of me. I wanted to crate her, but I also wanted to minimize trauma to her, so I let her stay there. I'd never do that again, though.

I allowed my boy cat out once when he was grown because he'd been such a good traveler when he was a kitten, just lying in a bed, but he just hunkered down and peed on the floor on the passenger side. Not good.

So carriers, always, and I belt them in.

[missy1]

front seat=just to the vet

[sandraskates]

I bought divider that goes between the back of the front seats and secures to the back seat area. I put a towel on it so it's less slippery.

Our prior dog used to mostly lie down while we traveded. Our new dog is more active. My hubby bought one of those Snoozer seats but he doesn't always belt in the either the Snoozer or the dog. When we take a long trip I will see to it that everyone is belted in.

[ccassaday]

Chloe has a seatbelt clip hooked onto her easy walk harness. Animals become missles in a car accident when loose. Also I can't tell you how many stories have been on our lost dog Facebook page about dogs running away from a accident. Owners are taken to hospital and dog is no where near the scene.