Anyone who is a dog owner knows just how important your furry friend is and that they are a member of your family. This means your beloved pet will most likely travel with you in your vehicle at some point in its life, whether it be to the vet, the dog park, or a friend's house. We, at Walt's Auto Service are animal lovers too, and we want to discuss the dangers when a pet is left inside your parked vehicle.
Did you know that thousands of pets are injured or die each year due to auto accidents? According to Pet Pro Supply Company ", 84% of dog owners traveling with their dogs are not restraining them. Only 16% of people who transport their dogs use proper safety restraints & 60% of dog owners have driven while distracted by their pets as passengers." We take many risks when traveling with our animals & the dangers that we open up to them if we leave them in our vehicles. It seems as if videos of concerned pedestrians calling the police to have them break into a locked car with an animal inside are increasing, especially in these summer months. There's no better than the hot month of August to discuss three pet safety tips and tricks in your vehicle for your pet.
1. Buckle Them Up: Even for just a quick ride, you should always buckle your dog into a seatbelt restraint. Proper restraints and harnesses are essential to ensure the safety of your dog and anyone else in your vehicle. The chaos that could ensue from a loose pet crawling in the footwell or causing distracted driving is deadly. If you have an animal in the vehicle moving about, you will be more distracted than if they weren't in the vehicle with you. By having them in a safety harness, their movement around the interior of your vehicle is limited. With these limitations, you ensure more safety and fewer distractions for yourself & everyone on the road around you.
2. The Backseat is Better: We know that many of us feel comforted when we have our pets in our laps at home; however, we often don't think about the risks we pose to our pets when we have them with us. Many pets (especially smaller ones) wouldn't survive the airbag releasing if an accident happened. Keeping them in the backseat is the safest place for them to be. By having your animal on your lap, you are also endangering yourself. If an accident were to occur, the airbag wouldn't be able to do its complete job with a pet in the middle.
3. Never Leave Them Alone: The American Veterinary Medical Association has stated that "every year, hundreds of pets die from heat exhaustion because they are left in parked vehicles. Given the hot summer months, it's not safe to even leave your pet in your vehicle for 6 minutes. An organization called "It Only Takes 6 Minutes For A Dog To Die In A Hot Car" explains the dangers of leaving one's pet inside. In the summer, heat, especially temperatures in vehicles, can rise within minutes, creating a toxic and deadly environment for any animal inside. An independent study showed that the interior temperature of vehicles parked in outside temperatures ranging from 72 to 96º F rose steadily as time increased.
At Walt's Auto Service, the team hopes you enjoyed this three-step informative blog about proper pet safety in vehicles. Whether you are a pet owner or know someone who travels with their pet often, feel free to share it! We thank you for taking the time to read through our blog! We know much you love your pet & want them to feel comfortable and safe when traveling with you. If you're looking for an honest and dependable Torrance auto repair shop, place your trust in Walt's Auto Service. We are a family-owned and operated business with an extremely high level of customer service, located at 340 Van Ness Ave., Ste. C, Torrance, CA 90501. We hope to see you soon; call us today or book an appointment online!