This time last year I was sat with a tummy full of butterflies – excitement, nerves and a good dose of determination all combined. The reason? I was getting ready to launch the first Pet Travel Safety Day, an awareness day dedicated to sharing with people the importance of travelling safely with your pets. What if people didn’t understand the importance? What if all my tips attracted silence?
I picked July 1st for 2 very specific reasons…
- On 1st July 1991, it became law for ALL passengers to wear a seatbelt. It was recognised that the risk of injury and fatality in a collision is greatly reduced when all passengers are appropriately restrained.
- With the summer holidays coming up there will be far more people looking to escape and enjoy some much-needed R&R with their furry companions
A look back over the year
Today, I will be sending out my top tips and asking you to share them, to speak up and let people know why they need to look more closely at how they travel with their pets.
I know that it can feel a bit of a thankless task sometimes but lots of small voices can make a big noise. Here are just some of the highlights that have come this past year…
- I joined a Facebook group for dog walkers. When I asked what people were using to transport there were a lot of cheap seat belts or folding crates. These business owners were genuinely doing their best with the knowledge they had. The problem is that, in a crash, these are likely to offer little protection and could cause more damage. After a few months of my “crash test is best” message, the majority have switched out to crash-tested restraints and have thanked me for making them aware.
- I have written guest blogs and articles and appeared on podcasts where other pet fanatics have wanted to share the message of how to keep their audience’s pets safe when travelling.
- The number of people looking to travel safely with their pets has grown and the enquiries coming from all over the country have been amazing.
- Pets 2 Places has expanded – Nic from Solihull joined us as our first franchisee to help other people.
- We have helped customers correctly fit their own crash-tested pet equipment.
This is the difference that one person can make so I will be shouting it from the rooftops once again today (and every day if I am honest).
Pet Travel Safety Day is dedicated to raising awareness that every time you go in your vehicle you need to make sure your pet is restrained by using crash-tested equipment, and in an appropriate position in the car. With that in mind, let’s have a quick recap.
How to Transport Pets Safely and Securely
Transporting Cats
If you are using a crash-tested carrier that is suitable to be used with a seatbelt this is fine to go on the backseat. Do check before putting on the back seat.
If you do not have a crash-tested carrier, position your basket on the floor behind the driver or passenger seat. A study undertaken by More Than car insurance shows you are 10 times more likely to crash at 30mph than any other speed. This means your seats will not crush the carrier.
If you are not using a crash-tested carrier, the wire mesh carrier with the opening lid is the most sturdy.
Transporting Dogs
Small & Medium
A crash-tested harness on the back seat
A crash-tested crate in your boot, this must be anchored down correctly
Medium/Large
A large dog needs plenty of space to lay down, if your dog does not have the space to do this with a harness on, then the back seat would not be suitable
A crash-tested crate, anchored down
Large/Giant Breeds
If your dog is too big for a crate you will need a crash-tested dog guard
I would recommend you use this with a crash-tested Tailgate.
If possible, restrain your dog within this space. Currently, there are no crash-tested pieces of equipment for this. Do take extra care with how you do this and never attach anything to a collar, only a harness.
When choosing the right piece of equipment for your dog, the crash-tested option will always be better than anything not crash-tested.
Get involved
Join us for the 2nd Pet Travel Safety Day on July 1st 2022, where we will be celebrating travelling with our pets safely.
You can visit the Pets 2 Places social media page and share our content and tips to help raise awareness and create a safer and more comfortable travel experience for all.
We’ve come such a long way in protecting people. Let’s start protecting our pets!
