The days are getting longer and with summer just around the corner, the BC SPCA is reminding travelers how to take trips safely with their pets.
Most specifically, the animal advocacy group is asking pet owners to ensure their animals are safely secured in vehicles.
“This time of year we start to see more people taking their pets, particularly dogs, with them on road trips or camping. We recommend that pets are kept inside the vehicle in a secured crate or restrained with a dog seatbelt,” says the SPCA’s general manager, communications, Lorie Chortyk in a press release.
The SPCA says unrestrained pets can be a huge distraction for drivers, leading to possible collisions and injuries for the pet themselves. Also, dogs tied in the back of a truck with loose ropes may accidentally hang themselves.
Instead, the SPCA recommends keeping a pet in a crate, secured in the centre of the truck box.
“Dogs can also be secured using short leads that are cross-tied to the animal’s harness,” an SPCA statement says.
In fact, it’s against the law to transport an unsecured pet in the back of a pick-up truck and they can fall out of the truck resulting in major injuries or death. Other nearby drivers could also be endangered.
“If you see a dog that is unattached in the back of a pick-up truck call 911 to report the license plate number, make and model of the vehicle and provide a description of the dog,” Chortyk says.
