When my dogs go in the car with me I restrain them with harnesses that attach to the seat belts. It’s important to me to know I’m doing what I can to make them safe. Whenever I teach a pet first aid class I talk about the importance of seat belts as well. Pet Connection has a story that illustrates just how important restraining your pets in the car can be.
In Utah last month, a 2007 Nissan Murano – one of those mixed breed car/SUVs referred to as a crossover – was hit head on by a Ford F-150 pickup. Despite a seat belt and air bags, the driver was killed on impact. Her restrained dog, however, survived the crash in fairly good shape.
According to Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) , a dog was in the back seat of the Murano but was restrained and survived the collision with no significant injuries. Lieutenant Lee Perry of the UHP tried to find out exactly how the dog was restrained, but could not figure out which Mendon fire fighter removed the dog. “I just know they told me the dog had been restrained. Mary Doty’s family also told me she always restrained her dog in the back,” said Lt. Perry.
Mary Doty believed strongly in animal therapy, and her therapy dog was highly popular around the Utah State University where she worked as the director of the counseling center. Her dog was frequently in the car with her.
Read the rest of Restrained dog survives fatal car crash at Pet Connection.
Technorati Tags: dog restraints, pet safety, dogs
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I always feel guilty, but trying to strap in four squirming, exuberant dogs is more than i can deal with. I wish someone would come up with a one click solution.
Yeah. for dog restraints. I love them especially for the little ones. They are just flying projectiles without straping them in. We’re training our 6 lb Morkie now and they are just like kids. If they don’t know any different, they get used to it.