# Carriers, seat belts keep pets safe in the car



## testmg80 (Jul 28, 2008)

by Sharon Dargay

O&E STAFF WRITER

If you drive with your dog on your lap, next to you in the passenger seat or with its head leaning through an open window, you might just get a chance to meet Dr. Loretta Lee some day.

She's a veterinarian with MVS, the emergency center and animal hospital with locations in Southfield and Auburn Hills - and she has treated the results of unrestrained animals in cars that collide.

"We'll see dogs with injuries. The most common is spinal injury. They have spinal issues after hitting their heads or necks when they're thrown forward in an accident," Lee said.

She strongly recommends restraining pets in a crate or with seat belts. She says crates are easiest to use, especially if dogs and cats are used to being in them. Belts are safe restraints if the dog is trained to wear them.

"Some people, if they have a truck, tie them in the back. You can see issues if they are tied up improperly. They can jump out of the truck and get it hit or strangle themselves.

"Or if the window is open and the dog sees something, they'll jump out the window and get hit. Unfortunately, that does happen."

DANGEROUS PROJECTILE

When an unrestrained pet jumps from a moving vehicle or is thrown during a collision, other passengers, other drivers and ultimately emergency workers at the scene may be injured, too.

"At 35 miles an hour, a 60-pound dog becomes a 2,700-pound projectile," explained Christina Selter, founder of the nationwide program Bark Buckle Up. "That pet will come flying through the vehicle, breaking someone's neck, back or slamming into the windshield. Most of these pets don't survive and that's why vets don't treat a lot of them."

Or if they survive, the injured pets may attack the emergency workers - police, firefighters and EMS professionals - working at the scene to save human lives.

"The pet either bites them or escapes the vehicle and gets hit by another car and causes another one or two accidents."

A NEW MISSION

Bark Buckle Up, based in Southern California, was born from Selter's awareness of first responders' needs, along with an incident that happened to one of her own pets, Betty, her Boston terrier. She and her husband also have a miniature pinscher, Princess, and a cat named Steve.

"I've had pets my whole life," said Selter, the mother of an adult daughter. "I graduated from the Orange County Sheriff's Academy and I come from a long line of first responders. My upbringing has always been about 'safety first.'"

Selter chose motherhood over a police career, but turned her attention to promoting pet safety when her daughter left for college three years ago.

She had already developed a Web site - Paw Yard - that stressed pet health and well-being, a kind of "MySpace for pet people" where users can exchange ideas and offer advice.

Bark Buckle Up, developed after an incident on the road.

"We were driving back to San Diego and we hit the brakes. Betty fell off the back seat. She wasn't hurt but she was scared ... agitated."

She and her husband started talking about pet safety products. He created a Web site (Bark Buckle UP) for her new mission. She interviewed professionals in the first responder field and then began reviewing products.

"We don't make or sell products. We communicate to the public about the products we've tested. And there are a lot of products we don't approve. It has to be easy to use because if it's not, people won't use it."

They've worked with auto manufacturers ("Some have become pet-friendly and added products to their dealerships"), keep tabs on relevant legislation and collect statistics on pet safety.

"A few states - like Maryland - have pending legislation to outlaw dogs in the back of a pickup truck. California had legislation that outlawed pets on the driver's lap. It didn't say the pet had to be restrained. But it's a baby step. Plus, that air bag is not going to be kind to a dog or cat," Selter said.

In addition to visiting the Web site, consumers can learn about safety products through the organization's spring and summer nationwide tour.

"We visit retail locations and people are allowed to bring their dogs and try the products. We show them how to get in and out of cars easily with their pets," Selter said.

COMING TO DETROIT

Bark Buckle Up also tours auto-related events and will be on hand at the North American International Auto Show, Jan. 11-25, 2009, in Detroit.

Visitors will get a chance to take home the organization's revamped auto pet safety kit, which also is available through the Web site. It includes a decal for the driver's side door that tells first responders the driver owns a pet. Emergency workers will know that an injured pet may be in the car or at home alone. A quick check of the registration form will give them names and phone numbers of the pet's veterinarian and close relatives or friends of the driver.

"And if the pet isn't in the car, police can pull the box and let someone know they're taking you to the hospital and someone needs to feed (the pet) at home," she said. "That way you're more at ease, knowing the information is in your glove box for first responders."

Carriers, seat belts keep pets safe in the car | hometownlife.com | the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, Mirror Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies


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## mr.stitches (Aug 1, 2008)

I totally agree with pets being restrained in cars/vans. They are like children - even though I must admit that some people still let their children clamber all over the car while they are driving.


Its a danger to the dog, a danger to you, and it can put you off your attention to the road if your worried about your dog. It really isnt worth it.

If you dog is sat behind you in an accident, and then comes hurtling into the back of you, it could well kill you.

I think all animals should be restrained in vehicles.


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## Cocobean (Dec 8, 2008)

I totally agree. Dogs can be quite anxious and impatient when travelling so it is safer to have anything which moves restrained in a moving vehicle


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