Secure Pets In Moving Vehicles

Whenever you have to transport an animal in your car, keep it secured in a carrier, or under control by a back-seat passenger.

Small pets should never be allowed loose in the vehicle as they can easily slip into inaccessible nooks or crannies. Can you imagine trying to focus on getting safely off the expressway as your small child wails loudly in the back seat that her pet hamster has crawled under your seat & cannot be reached.

Large pets that cannot fit into carriers should either be well-trained enough to sit quietly on the back seat, or leashed & held onto firmly by a back seat passsenger. They should not be allowed to claw at the driver's arm, climb into the driver's seat or block the driver's sight through the rear windscreen or windows.

• Keep all small pets securely in their carriers, & do not open the carrier until you reach your destination.
• If a pet in a carrier seems to need attention, but leaps out of the carrier as one of your passengers checks on it, stop the car in a safe place & catch the animal first before you continue the journey. Do not just keep driving on & then meet with an accident when you find that in order to brake, you will first have to stomp on Fluffy (who is clinging to the brake pedal).
• Invest in car seats/belts specially designed for larger pets. This will prevent the animal from being thrown around the vehicle in the event of an abrupt stop or accident.
• Do not tie an animal by the neck to any part of the vehicle during a trip. If the animal is thrown forward during sudden braking or a collision, it may choke to death or have its neck broken.
• If the animal get car sick, stop the vehicle & tend to it. Do not be distracted & keep turning around to check on it.
• Never let the pet carrier or pet be positioned so that whenever the driver glances into the rearview mirror, all he sees is a larg pair of furry ears or a paw-print covered bag!