With summer beach days, cabin weekends, and cross-province adventures taking place the ICBC and the BC SPCA have teamed up for a vehicle pet safety partnership.
Pet owners are being urged to make sure their dog or cat is seated, secure and safe during every drive.
“They trust us with everything, from belly rubs to big adventures,” said Kathleen Nadalin, ICBC road safety manager. “When we bring our pets along for the ride, it’s our job to make sure they’re safe and secure. It’s a simple act of love that also keeps everyone else in the vehicle out of harm’s way.”
The organizations have offered the following tips for keeping pets safe in cars:
- Use a safety device to protect your pet. Loose animals can become a projectile in a crash, injuring themselves and others in the vehicle. The best options for securing your pet are harnesses/safety belts and hard-shell crates that are secured down.
- Let your dog or cat be the ‘backseat driver’. Don’t let your pet sit on your lap. Pets are safest when secured in the back seat or cargo area of your vehicle.
- Prevent distraction by packing the essentials. Keep your pet happy by bringing food, water, dishes, bedding and toys for them.
- Keep pets inside the vehicle while driving. While it’s tempting to let your dog hang his head out the window for the breeze, this can lead to eye injuries due to weather, heavy wind, fly debris or objects coming close to your vehicle.
- Secure your pet if travelling in the back of a pick-up truck. It’s illegal and dangerous to travel with an unsecured pet in the exterior of a truck. If you must transport your pet in the back of a truck, the safest method is in a secured crate in the centre of your truck box.
- If you’re not in the car, your pet shouldn’t be either. Vehicles can heat up quickly with warm temperatures and this can quickly endanger your pet’s health. Even a car parked in the shade with the windows cracked open can get hot enough to cause heatstroke or the death of an animal.
