Traveling with Pets

At a local pet store in Duluth a few weeks ago, I was sitting in the car waiting for my wife Paula. While I was sitting in the car, I observed a number of animals who appeared to be assisting with the driving of their masters vehicles. The majority of the animals were small dogs, but one cat was also behind the wheel. An older gentleman was traveling with a Pekingese which was sitting in his lap, with it's head out driver's side window. Neither the dog nor the master were wearing seat belts and the master was also smoking a cigarette. Dogs should not drive.

Driving with an animal in your lap is dangerous to you and the animal. Steering is more difficult, your attention is distracted from the road, and the animal is unsecured. In the event of a crash, the animal and the driver could easily be injured or killed. In many states it is illegal and a driver involved in a crash in such a situation would likely be facing a careless driving citation.

A number of us own cats and dogs and a lot of us travel with them. Most of us treat our pets as members of the family. They should also be treated the same way in a vehicle.

Like other passengers, pet's need to be restrained. A pet carrier works well for all but the larger dogs, they are easy to transport and generally the animals don't mind them. Larger dogs can be secured using a harness system.
These systems use the seat belt and keep the dog in the seat. They are not very expensive and most dogs don't seem to mind them.

When traveling with pets, don't let the dog hangout of the windows, yes a lot of them like the feel of the wind in their face and ears, but it isn't healthy. Blowing sand, dirt not to mention other road debris could easily injure the dog.
Some dogs like to ride in the back of an open pickup truck. This isn't as good for the dog as being in a secured cab, when possible keep them up front with you. If you are going to let them ride in the back, make sure they are tied down and secured. If they are in a carrier make sure that the carrier is secured so it can't be thrown out of the bed of the truck in a sudden stop.

Never, leave a pet in the vehicle unattended. The temperature inside the car even in mild weather can easily be several degrees higher. Make sure that when traveling with a pet you stop frequently to let them do their business and stretch their legs. Keep a jug of fresh water and some treats in food in the vehicle as well.

Traveling with pets isn't difficult but you do need to use some basic common sense to keep you and your pet safe.