Pet Car Restraint

I am so sorry for my LOOOONNNNGGG absence, I'm sure most of you have given up on me ever blogging again!!!  I at least have a little bit of an excuse.  I just recently got married at the end of last month.  So between all the festivities and the honeymoon, I'm just beginning to see the light. 

I also was involved in a pretty bad roll-over car accident just 2 weeks before I got married.  Not to worry I'm doing pretty good.  But, that is what has prompted me to write this post.  The terrifying part to me was that I  had my 12 year-old dog- Ebby in the car with me.  She was were she always is when we drive, in the back seat in her bed, 'unrestrained'....  She is perfectly fine and doing well, but I am a terrible mommie, she could have been seriously injured or worse killed!

Safe ways to transport your pets for their and your safety:

• Harness/Seat Belt:  They make several varieties of this now.  The harness is usually padded which should help prevent bruising in sudden stops or dangling situations.  They attach to the seat belt in two ways; some clip into the actual seat belt and others have a loop to hook around the lap belt or shoulder strap.  The only concern I have about the loop one is that what if the seat belt doesn't 'lock-up' upon impact....?  This would have been great in my truck, being that there wasn't room inside for large carriers.

• Carriers:  I think if you have room for carriers they are the way to go.  The big thing to remember is that the carriers have to be restrained.  Ex:  Bolted to the floor, seat belted in, or strapped with tie downs.  Because can you imagine a 50# dog in a 10# crate hurtling through your SUV!!  OMG! Scary!

Reasons to restrain your pets:
I know it's not fun to have to restrain your pets every time you get in the car, especially if they are like Ebby and have never been restrained before.  But believe me after this accident I realize that I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to her.  The first thing I thought of, once we stopped, was if she was ok.

1. Prevent Pet Projectiles:  This saves the dog and yourself!  A 50# dog could seriously hurt you during impact!
2. They are distracting!:  Dogs and CATS will climb on your lap, under your feet, etc.  I see numerous people bring cats in without carriers, this is DANGEROUS!!  Not just in the car, but also in the parking lot and lobby(They can and will get loose)!!
3. Escape after the accident:  I read a story of a dog that survived the rollover, escaped the car and was hit by oncoming traffic. :-(
4. Air Bag Injury:  These animals should always be in the back seat, just like kids. Those airbags can cause serious head injuries.

FYI:  Both of my babies are now wearing harnesses and seat belts.  As you can see they are not extremely over-joyed, but safe they are!!