Pet Travel. A Few Tips For Safe Pet Passage.

Summer is coming which means more opportunities for pet friendly outdoor activities, events and reasons to travel with your pet. Allowing your pets to travel with you can be a great experience as both dogs and cats, and even bunnies, can certainly enjoy some fresh air and time outside the house. Here are a few tips to keep everyone happy and safe while traveling:

While we all love to see a happy dog with the wind in their ears getting their sniff on, when driving with your dog, don’t allow them to stick their head out the window. Small stones, sticks and pieces of trash can be kicked up by other cars which can hit them in the head and get in their eyes.
While I am guilty of it on occasion, (because Prissy and Portia are the ultimate clingy lap dogs) do not let your dog or cat ride in your lap while driving. Dogs on laps can quickly become an distraction and cause an accident. Cats tend to wander around the car and check everything out which can also become quite the driving distraction. Just like it is advised not to text and drive, don’t drive with loose pets in the car.
Speaking of laps, as safety research continues, it is highly recommended to provide restraints for your pet while you are in the car. If you are in an accident or even come close to being in an accident (i.e. slam on the breaks) your pet can become a projectile. Providing restraints for your pet will prevent your pup, kitty or bunny from being slammed into the back of the seat, into the windshield or, from being ejected from the car. There are many restraint types available such as harnesses and travel crates, but not all restraints are created equal. Check out SleepyPod. They do their research on design (i.e. pet crash test dummies) and have many options such as harnesses (those that will not decapitate your pet), bed-like travel seats and even bags for air travel with posh fur and heated lining options.
And of course, do not under any circumstance leave your pet in the car. Cats and dogs do not have sweat glands so they are unable to cool themselves in a hot environment. Even if you are parked in the shade, the sun moves and a parked car WILL become VERY hot quickly. Pets left in a car can overheat and potentially die. Check out MyDogIsCool.Com and spread the word! This is also the #1 way for your pet to be dog or catnapped and end up being another story of Pet Flipping. Yes, it is now a “thing”, on Craigslist.

Needless to say, if you are out running errands your pet is probably best suited to stay at home, unless you are running pet friendly errands. Many major retail chains like Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot and Bass Pro Shops are pet friendly, as well as almost every local pet boutique and several local restaurants with their summer patios open for business. Be sure to call each location as oftentimes pet friendliness is dependent on each individual location’s management/policies.