08/26/2025
🚗🐾 K9 Vehicle Safety
Keeping your dog safe in the car isn’t just about comfort—it’s about protection for both you and your pet in case of sudden stops, accidents, or distractions.
✅ Best Practices for Dog Car Safety
➡️ Crates/Carriers:
• Choose crash-tested, sturdy crates
• Secure crates so they don’t slide around
• Provide comfortable bedding for longer rides
➡️ Use a crash-tested restraint:
• Harnesses that clip into the seatbelt
• Dog seatbelts
‼️ Never attach any restraint directly to a collar
➡️ Keep dogs in the back seat:
• Airbags in the front can be dangerous for pets
• Reduces distractions for the driver
➡️ Windows:
• Crack windows for airflow, but don’t let dogs hang their heads out—risk of debris, ear damage, and injury
• Lock power windows to prevent accidental opening
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🚫 What Not to Do
• Never leave your dog in the car unattended:
• Heatstroke can happen in minutes, even with windows cracked
• Cold weather can be dangerous too
• No laps or loose dogs in the car—dangerous for both dog and driver
• Don’t tether with a collar—risk of choking or neck injury
• NEVER put your dog in a truck beds—extremely unsafe and illegal in some places
🚨 If your dog is loose in the car, they can become a projectile if you are in an accident, injuring you, themselves or other passengers.
🚨 If your dog is loose in the car, EMT may open the door and let your dog out to give you proper medical attention, now your dog is loose and freaked out!
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👉 Pro tip: Keep information on your dogs and their medical history in the car in case of an emergency. List an emergency contact, vet information, medical concerns, medications, vaccinations etc.
Just like seatbelts keep us safe, proper restraints protect your dog. A restrained dog = safer ride for everyone.
