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Buckle Up For Safety, No Matter How Short The Trip

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By KRISTEN LEVINE, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 12, 2008

Ten years ago when pet owners hit the road, their dogs hit the kennels and Kitty hit a bucket of kibble. No more; have pet, will travel with.

People take 17 million dogs and cats on vacation every year, according to the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association. Millions more shuttle around town to doggy day care, the vet, parks and pet stores.

They need safe, reliable transportation, just like us. Fortunately, many companies have emerged to offer help.

Progressive Insurance's new ad campaign highlights a pet injury protection plan that's free with every auto policy purchase. Midway Airlines launched a Premier Pet Program over the holidays featuring VIP check-in for pets and specially trained personnel dedicated to their safety and comfort.

But those concerns start with you, the pet owner. And they're important, even when travel is just a quick trip to the vet.

Tops for safety, no matter what the mode of transport, is restraining our animals. However, 80 percent of us have never used a pet restraint while traveling by car, the pet products association says.

Each year, 1.5 million auto accidents are blamed on driver distraction, with pets the third biggest cause, according to Cars.com, an online resource designed to help consumers make smart automobile purchases.

Unrestrained pets are free to hop from window to window, front seat to back, and may even dive into the driver's floorboard, causing an inability to brake or accelerate.

And your pet doesn't have to be in an accident to get hurt. Veterinarians see cases involving injuries from flying debris or pets falling out of a door not shut properly. Unrestrained dogs are easily bounced or launched out of truck beds during a quick stop or sharp turn.

So always lock doors and roll up windows, in addition to securing your pet properly in a back seat or cargo area.

Air bags, noted for saving lives, can be very dangerous to pets and small children, especially those not seated or properly restrained. These safety bags were designed for adult people, not animals, which should be secured behind the front seats.

Securing Animals Is Simple

Buckling up bowzer can be a cinch. A multitude of products are available.

Doggy car seats hook into the car's existing seat belt system and have a safety hook that attaches to a pet's harness. Many pet car seat models are elevated, so Bruiser can still take in the scenery.

Owners of larger breeds may find a barrier system to be most effective. Dividers can contain a big dog in an SUV's cargo area. They're generally installed behind the last row of seats and extend to the ceiling. If that allows too much space to get tossed around in an accident, use additional forms of restraint.

Securing cats and other small animals can be simple. Select a sturdy travel (or airline) kennel the appropriate size for your pet. There should be just enough room for the pet to stand up and turn around comfortably.

Harness systems can buckle the kennel securely into the back seat or cargo area so it's not launched in a collision.

Transporting a pet in an open vehicle - truck bed, flatbed, convertible - is just a bad idea. Pets are always safer when confined. A Hillsborough County ordinance does allow it if the animal is confined by a secured, well-ventilated container of proper size or is properly tethered to prevent it from falling or jumping out.

The trouble is that inadequate tethering can lead to another tragic outcome. If the pet gets thrown in a collision, it could possibly hang from or be dragged by the vehicle.

Other travel basics: Make sure your pet is wearing a collar, and a leash is handy in case an unexpected exit is necessary. Be sure to have up-to-date identification tags and a permanent microchip on your pet in case you become separated in an accident.

Never, ever, ever leave a pet alone and unattended in a car - even if the windows are slightly cracked for ventilation. The temperature inside the car can rise to deadly levels in minutes.

Both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have ordinances prohibiting leaving pets alone in a vehicle.

Dealing With Motion Sickness

With safety now ensured, have you considered your car? How safe are your carpets and upholstery - from a carsick pet, that is?

Generally, pets that are accustomed to auto travel don't have a problem. But some pets, just like people, succumb to motion sickness.

"Generally, problems will happen within the first few miles," explains veterinarian Steven Odland of Woodland's Animal Hospital in Oldsmar.

If your pet isn't used to auto travel and you have a trip planned, Odland suggests taking it on short rides - on an empty stomach - in advance of your actual departure.

"Just like you wouldn't eat before going on a roller coaster ride, we suggest fasting your pet the night before and giving a little water before your trip to avoid car sickness," he says. "Fasting works better than medication in most circumstances."

Pets that drool, whine, pace and pant in the car should probably be left at home. If they have to go, talk to your veterinarian about all-natural calming remedies available at many pet supply retailers. Tranquilizers or other forms of sedation can cause upset stomach or disorientation that affects balance and coordination. That could also lead to injury.

Learn more about safe travel with pets at www.petautosafety.com, www.pettravel.com and www.hsus.com (enter "pet travel" in the search engine).

Write to pet-lifestyle expert Kristen Levine at Fetching Communications, P.O. Box 222, Tarpon Springs FL 34688; e-mail kristen

@fetchingcommunications.com; or fax to (727) 934-6451.

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