Keep your dog comfortable and safe with a high-quality harness
Car safety is a big topic
If you have ever been in a car accident, you know that even the smallest fender bender is no fun. When it comes to dogs and car safety it is very hard for me to see people taking crazy chances. In the course of my career, I have seen dogs that have fallen off the back of a pickup and were killed or dragged behind.
I have also treated a number of dogs that were in car accidents and ended up with severe injuries and some of them were even ejected from the car and never found. I have heard many objections from people who love having their dog dancing on their lap while driving. Some people even think that it would be cruel to confine their dog with a seatbelt and deprive them of the freedom.
However, I would like you to imagine for a moment seeing your dog injured, lost or killed in a car accident. I would personally go crazy if I lost my dog Skai, especially knowing it was because I failed to secure him with a seatbelt. In the past, I have tried different car safety harnesses, but most of them had plastic buckles that didn’t seem to be sturdy enough. Often they had breakable plastic buckles and I always questioned if there was any use to put them on.
That is why I was thrilled to see that RC Pets launched their Canine Friendly brand crash-tested seatbelt harness. Here are some reasons why I like this dog harness:
- First, the company is still making some of its products in Canada, which is almost unheard of in the industry.
- The harness itself is made of nylon webbing and comes in several different sizes and is very easy to adjust.
- I especially appreciate the metal buckles and there is one word that describes them the best – SOLID!
- The harness attaches easily to the seatbelt and gives your dog enough freedom without compromising safety.
I got a chance to test the harness on our 1,000 km (600 mile) trip from Vancouver to the Rockies and Skai happily snoozed the whole trip without any signs of agitation or discomfort. I gave him a little extra slack by attaching a carabiner for extra comfort and it worked very well.
The Canine Friendly (RC Pets) seatbelt is so far the best on the market. It is solid, well-made with quality materials and most importantly crash safety tested.
It costs a little more than other harnesses, but why to buy a cheap harness if it doesn’t work?
To me, $100 is a little price to pay for our best friend’s safety. If you truly love your dog, the Canine Friendly (RC Pets) harness is the best investment you can make!
© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM