Road Trip!

Time to head to Grandma's for Thanksgiving?  Or are you going to Aunt Maude's house this year?

Either way ... it is a road trip and that means that the family pets are traveling with you.  The packing is done, the cooler is ready, you have the route all planned out. Get the kids in the car, settle in, seat belts on and away you go.

Wait!  Is Benji buckled up too? How about your precious cat, Princess ... is she in a carrier?

All the passengers in your car should be restrained while traveling, even if it is just for a short trip to the grocery store to pick up that forgotten whipped cream for the pumpkin pie.




Some facts:

• Three quarters of occupants ejected from a car during a carash are killed. Seat belts are the effective way of preventing serious injuries or even death
• An unrestrained pet is also a danger to other passengers, especially children. In a 30 mph crash, a 60 pound dog can hit the windshield, seat back or another passenger with a force of 1,200 pounds.
• Even if the pet is not injured, a frightened and unrestrained pet can hamper the efforts of the police, firemen or rescue workers who are on the scene.
• A cat or a dog moving around in a moving car is a big distraction.

The Humane Society of the United States advises that the best and safest place for a pets traveling in a vehicle is either restrained in the back seat or cargo area or, if you have a small cat or dog, placed in an appropriate carrier.  Don't use a standard seat belt for you furry family members. There are many restraint devices designed especially for pets of all sizes.  Carriers are especially important for cats who we all know like to perch on shoulders, curl up around your feet and jump from back to front. That is a disaster waiting to happen.

So, before you begin that next road trip stop by the pet store and pick out the right restraint for your dog or cat. 

Happy Trails.