This morning I came across a story that animals are ranked #9 as the cause of driver distraction. This statistic was brought to light by California New Legislation . It got me thinking.
Frankie rides in a car seat, though she didn’t always ride in one. I didn’t realize the importance of it until she became disabled. She used to have free run of the car, hopping from front to back and sitting on my lap. After her injury, I was concerned I couldn’t take her with me on errands like I used to. A friend knowing how I loved taking Frankie places with me, gifted us with a doggie car seat. I didn’t even know until then that they made doggie car seats!
Frankie wears a harness with a D-ring on the back and that hooks to the harness attached to the car seat. The seat belt slides through the harness, thus belting her in. What is really cool about the car seat is that it sits up high, so she can see all the action. And especially fun, is seeing smiles on driver’s faces as they pull up next to us at a stop light.
When we had our lab, Cassie Jo, my husband John always took her for their Sunday morning “bonding time” drive. She was never buckled in, but sat as close as she possibly could, right next to John. Though it is a sweet image, it probably wasn’t the safest thing for either of them. One Sunday they were out driving, windows wide open, and Cassie had to “go” really, really bad… she jumped right out the window as the truck was driving down the road!! Luckily she was not hurt, but it could have been very tragic. Kylie, our lab we now have, rides in the back of our SUV, with a doggie gate separating her from the rest of the car, so she is secure in her own little area.
Hug-A-Dog also makes a vest with a loop attached to the harness and the seat belt slips through thus buckling your precious furry cargo into place. So many of us today consider our animals a part of our family, so why not take the extra precautions to keep them safe… while in turn, keeping us all safe.