Blog the Change for Animals: Be Smart Ride Safe® & Bark-Buckle Up for National Animal Protection & Safety Month.

Harley sits in the back and is always buckled up.
Buckle Up! It's the Paw! That's what our new car magnet says! When it comes to our pet's safety, we can't be too careful when traveling in a vehicle. That's why today, in honor of Blog the Change for Animals in conjunction with National Animal Protection & Safety Month, I'd like to once again talk about a very important subject: safe pet travel. Whether you use a crate or a seat belt, please remember to buckle-up your furkids before you turn that ignition key.

According to Be Smart Ride Safe®:

* A 60-pound pet can causes a 2,700 pound projectile, even when moving at only 35mph
* Statistics show pet travel has increased 300% since 2005
* Unrestrained pets in vehicles can delay emergency workers' access to human occupants
* Pets escaping a vehicle post-accident can pose many dangers, including catching the loose pet
* Injured pets may bite rescue workers or others who are trying to help
* Pets may escape through a window or open door and cause a second accident
* Driver distraction is common when unrestrained pets are rambunctious inside a vehicle

Statistics don’t lie.

When you have a pet in your lap, in the front seat or roaming freely around the car it is very likely you will break these simple three rules. There are three main types of distraction:
  • Visual — taking your eyes off the road
  • Manual — taking your hands off the wheel
  • Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing 
Just as with children, air bags can also hurt your pet if deployed. To avoid injury, it's a good idea to restrain your pets in the back seat of your car.

    Please visit the Bark-Buckle Up Facebook page (2019 update: website is no longer active) for more information and join us today in ensuring your pet's and your own safety
    by taking The Pledge to "Be Smart Ride Safe®" today. And always remember that when you buckling up your family and yourself, buckle up your furkids as well. The life saved could be your own or your pet's. 

    You can check with their Facebook page to see if they still offer a FREE Pet Safety Kit, including a pet ID card (with your pet's photo & vital information) to carry in your glovebox, and a car window cling to alert first responders that there is a furkid aboard. We were thrilled to get ours!
    In the meantime, enjoy this spectacular Fall time of year that is arriving in many areas. Go for some leisurely car rides, Autumn leaf peeping, and hiking with your pets, but please remember...drive safely and always buckle-up! Here's a video with some additional safety tips from Christina, the Pet Safety Lady (and founder of Bark-Buckle-Up!):


    Also, be sure to stop over to My Brown Newfie's page today and leave a comment on their Blog the Change entry. For each comment, Iams will donate 10 bowls of food to shelter dogs in need as part of their Home for the Holidays program. So head on over, comment, and feed some needy dogs!

    Comments

    1. This is so important! Thanks for sharing all this great information!

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    2. Great post! I am going to definitely check out some of these links.

      Your pal, PIp

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    3. Thanks for sharing this information....I have never buckled my boys up and that is a big no-no on my part. Must be a better/safer doggie driver.

      ReplyDelete
    4. What really scares us the most is when we see dogs riding in the back of an open pickup truck. Not very safe at all.

      ReplyDelete
    5. Hey Fivesibes!
      Wow, great safety post! Thanks for reminding everyone about this. BTW: I can't wait for your big Howl-o-ween photo contest!
      Grr and Woof,
      Sarge, COP

      ReplyDelete
    6. Yes, dogs need to be safe in the car too!

      Kari
      http://dogisgodinreverse.com

      ReplyDelete
    7. Safety for our pets while traveling is so important - and so very often overlooked. Thanks for providing so much information, and these great links!

      Thanks for blogging the change for animals!
      Kim Thomas
      BtC4Animals.com
      CindyLusMuse.blogspot.com

      ReplyDelete
    8. Very good advice. Our dawgs are crated mostly in the car, (but sometimes that is not possible). If we had the money we would invest in a dog trailer because it seems like those offer a lot of protection in an accident.

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    9. We can never talk about this cause enough. After seeing the AAA/Kurgo survey results this summer, we still have a long way to go. Thanks for the post.

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    10. Great post! I always get so frustrated when I see people with unrestrained dogs in their cars.
      So unsafe.

      ReplyDelete
    11. I discovered your web site via Google while looking for a related subject, lucky for me your web site came up, its a great website. I have bookmarked it in my Google bookmarks. You really are a phenomenal person with a brilliant mind!
      Please Visit ===> Veterinary Technician Training Class

      ReplyDelete

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