News, Advice and Resources for Thoughtful Pet People
Here’s a visual demonstrating why your dog should be restrained when in your car. No dogs were harmed in these crash tests. The tests used weighted dog dummies just like they do for crash tests for humans. The first video shows what happens to an unrestrained dog, the second shows what happens to a dog in a crate & a dog on a leash, and the third shows what happens to a dog unrestrained in the back of a car and what happens to dogs in crates.
Hopefully the weather is warming up where you are (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere). And that probably means you’re out and about more with your dog. If you’re taking your dog in your car, you’ll both be much safer if your dog is secured by a strong harness and seat belt. Find out why you should always buckle up your dog. We love the Roadie made by RuffRider. (There’s also a new, Neoprene lined model.) Saffron is now relaxed in the car because she doesn’t have to struggle to keep her balance.
The Roadie isn’t just a regular harnesses. It was designed specifically to keep a dog comfortable riding in a car and safe in the event of an accident. It was independently tested and can withstand over 6,000 lbs. of force. (The Society of American Engineers standard for human seat belts is 5,000 lbs. of force.) Unlike a lot of car harnesses, the Roadie doesn’t have any buckles or clips that could fail in an accident. That does mean there is a certain way to put the harness on, but once you understand how, you’ll have no problems.
It’s easy to secure your dog in the car by threading the seat belt through the loop on the back of the harness. They have videos to show you how. Or you can use a carabiner to clip the harness in. (Note: It’s important that if you use a carabiner, get one used for rock climbing with a strength rating of at least 23 kN. We use a Black Diamond Dynotron which is rated 25kN. Don’t use some crappy carabiner you get at Wal-Mart—it isn’t strong enough.)
RuffRider has a puppy policy. If you buy a Roadie for your puppy, notify Ruffrider that you are ordering for a puppy. Then when your puppy is full grown, you can return the frst harness in good condition and get 20% off your second harness.
A Minnesota driver struck and killed a Miniature Pinscher named Fester who had just escaped from his owner and ran into the busy road. The unusual part of the story is that the driver, Jeffery Ely, is suing the owner of the dog, Nikki Munthe, for the damage done to his car.
Ely himself owns a dog and says he feels compassion for Fester’s family, but thinks they should be held responsible for the accident. And on the surface, I agree with him. But, I also see pets as part of the family and it’s hard to imagine someone suing a family for damage to your car if you struck and killed their child through no fault of your own.
