Several weeks ago, I was in a car accident. The car in the lane next to me lost control and came into my lane, pushing my car into the median at 70 mph. When my car finally came to a stop, and I realized I was okay, my first thought was thank God I didn’t have my dog with me.

Even though I was okay, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things could’ve been a lot worse. I always put my dog on a harness in the back of the vehicle, with room enough to stick his snout out of the window, but even that, I fear, would not have been enough to keep him safe under the circumstances. Even more scary, had he been with and not restrained by his seat belt, I can almost guarantee he wouldn’t be here today, and for no good reason at all.

Why Restrain Your Pet in A Vehicle?

The accident got me thinking about the seriousness of dog safety in the car, and how seemingly overlooked it is. The honest truth is, if you would buckle up a toddler (which of course you would, duh), why wouldn’t you take the same precautions with your dog? Big, small, or medium sized, it doesn’t matter; dogs need the same safeguards as people when it comes to riding in a vehicle.

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