Does your dog love to ride in the car? Stick his head out the window and sniff all the smells the world has to offer? But have you ever thought what might happen to your dog if you were to slam on the breaks while he was standing on the seat; or worse get in an accident? It’s a scary thought for any animal lover, myself included. But it got me thinking, what is the best way for my dog to ride in the car? Is he really in any danger if he’s laying down?
8yo Milo is looking for a forever home!
According to a Forbes.com article, a 10lb unrestrained animal can exert 300lbs of force when going 30mph during an accident. That’s enough force to send your beloved pet out of the car or worse, in to you. You wouldn’t want to think of your dog as an unrestrained sack of potatoes, but that’s what it could be like if you were to get into an accident.
Unfortunately, the number of safety restraints that work efficiently are quite low. When tested, most restraints snapped, broke at weak points or left the animal with life ending injuries when tested on weighted stuff animals. One of the few restraints that consistently protected the dog as well as others in the car during simulated testing was Sleepypod’s Clickit Utility Harness. The Sleepypod was given a 5 star rating by the Center for Pet Safety (CPS). This restraint works just like a human’s seat belt, it prevents the dog from exiting the car and maintains stability and spine alignment if an accident were to occur.
Muppet is adoptable and brings his own toys!
For owners of smaller dogs or cats, you might not be comfortable with using a seat belt. Thankfully, the CPS also tested different types of carrier and listed the top performing carriers on their website, found here. It is important to note, that a carrier is only safe if it securely fastened to the car.
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