Cat and Dog Travel Safety in Groveport, OH Saves Lives

Sadly, as a veterinarian, I have witnessed first-hand the effects of unsafe pet travel. I have seen animals slammed in car doors (dogs and cats), pets under the brake pedal (especially cats) causing accidents, dogs ejected or jumping out of pickup truck beds, permanent eye and other trauma to dogs with their head out the window, and too many dogs die of heatstroke after being left in the car with the windows cracked. About 85% of pet owners state they travel with their pets, but most admit their pets are not restrained and at least once during each car trip they are distracted by their unrestrained pet. Proper cat and dog travel safety clearly saves lives and prevents car accidents.

Temperature Inside the Vehicle

We all have heard how quickly your car’s interior temperature rises. However, most people don’t understand that even on a cool day, with the windows cracked, the interior temperature rises very quickly to life-threatening temperatures. Here are the results of a study that was done by San Francisco State University showing the interior vehicle air temperature at different outside air temperatures over time:

Elapsed time	Outside Air Temperature (F)
	70	75	80	85	90	95
0 minutes	70	75	80	85	90	95
10 minutes	89	94	99	104	109	114
20 minutes	99	104	109	114	119	124
30 minutes	104	109	114	119	124	129
40 minutes	108	113	118	123	128	133
50 minutes	111	116	121	126	131	136
60 minutes	113	118	123	128	133	138
> 1 hour	115	120	125	130	135	140

Courtesy Jan Null, CCM; Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University

If your lifestyle requires you to leave your pets in a car, you can get an electric vehicle where you can keep the air conditioning on ‘pet mode’ while you’re away.  For those with a gasoline/diesel engine, you can use a zero breeze, a portable air conditioner for use in small areas, or keep the car running with air conditioning on and lock your steering wheel with a club.

Proper Restraint for Pets

Proper restraint within the car is essential for the safety of you and your pet. Dogs must be in a safety harness and cats must be in carriers. Both should be properly restrained using the seat belts in the vehicle. Proper cat restraint includes a hard carrier buckled in with the seat belt. Proper dog restraint includes a harness that has been approved by Pet Product Standard Council (PPSC) to work with you car’s seat belts. If your dog must ride in the back of a pickup truck it should be restrained in a proper sized and well ventilated dog kennel. Even dogs tethered in the bed of a pickup truck have died by getting tangled or from suspension after jumping out. Several states have actually banned dogs from riding in the back of a pickup truck or require that they be secured properly.

In Conclusion

Hot cars and unrestrained pets are seriously dangerous and cause entirely preventable injuries, deaths, and car accidents. Please properly restrain your pets and keep them cool. Your pets, your veterinarian, and your insurance company all thank you!

Have additional questions about cat and dog travel safety? Call (614) 836-3222 to talk with a veterinarian or book an appointment online today!