A story that may change your mind about dog safety
One of our customers recently shared her experience of her dogs flying through the car when she braked suddenly while driving at just 30 km/hr. One can’t even imagine what would happen at 50 or 90 km/hr.
Here is the letter:
Dr. Dobias:
A few weeks back, as I was driving home from North Vancouver to West Vancouver with my two Duck Tollers in the back seat of my car. A young boy drove out into the street in front of my car and I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting him.
Although both my dogs were leashed to the head rests in the back seat, there was enough slack in the leashes to send the one that was standing up flying into the back of my seat with a terrible impact and then catapult between the two front seats.
I was sure he had been injured (he wasn’t — just frightened). I was driving only 30 km/hr. I can’t even imagine what would have happened had I been driving faster.
Shortly thereafter, I received your newsletter regarding the RC harness. I took the near-accident as a sign that I had to take immediate action, not only to keep my two dogs safe, but myself as well, as my attention was always being diverted from the road ahead in order to deal with the occasional chaos in the back seat.
I ordered two harnesses. One for each of them.
This email is to thank you for your timely newsletter. Not only are the harnesses easy to put on the dogs before we leave the house, it’s also easy, once in the car, to slide the seat belts through the back of the harnesses. No muss, no fuss.
The type of harness I used years ago was such a hassle to get on my previous dog, I gave up using it. But the RC harness is a snap to use. Not only does it keep them from bouncing around the back seat, wrestling, hanging their heads out the windows, it allows them to comfortably lay down and/or sit up in order to watch the world go by. And best of all — they don’t seem to mind being comfortably restrained one bit.
I’ve attached three photos — one of both the dogs modelling their harnesses. One of them sitting “bolt” upright in the car. And one of them laying down. I thought you might like to see the harness in action.
Thank you for the “heads up”.
Cheryl Smith
West Vancouver, BC
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There you go! This story definitely made me even more convinced that my dog is worth the extra few seconds to buckle him up every time we get in the car. I am so grateful to Cheryl for sharing her experience and the reminder.
I know that many people do not allow themselves to think about what would happen to their dog in a car accident but these things truly do happen.
© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM
