Pet travel safety in cars and seat belts for dogs was up for discussion here and at Animal Cafe last week, and I happen to have an EZYDog harness and seat belt available for review. This measure of safety is one of the things we know we should do to keep our pets safe, but often put it off to “some other time” – if that’s you, check out this dog seat belt and harness and consider giving yourself an early Christmas or Hanukkah present!
Seat Belts Keep Dogs Safe
EZYDog has a nylon harness sewn with reflective stitching, and a form-fitting rubber chest plate that stops the harness from shifting around the body, so your dog stays comfortable and does not experience chafing. The small-sized harness I received did not fit Tashi, but it was not difficult to put on the dog, I just did not have the room to fasten the clips. The nylon fastener that slips onto your seat belt has a swiveling stainless steel clip that fastens to the “D” ring on the harness.When you unfasten your dog from the seat belt, you can clip your leash onto the “D” and remove the dog from the car safely.
Did you know that dogs without seat belts or some other form of restraint cause 30,000 accidents a year according to AAA? And that little 25lb pooch of yours turns into a force of 1000 lbs hurtling through space until he hits you or some other part of the car? And that’s only going 40 miles an hour.
Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple of days… the travel sites say they expect more people on the roads this year than last. Holidays are very stressful, and distractions are the top reported reason for accidents. Some drive when they’ve had something to drink, some have over-eaten and are just turkey tired. Besides driving defensively, my advice is if you don’t have a proper restraint – and that does not mean your arm in front of the dog if you stop short – leave your dog at home. How would you feel if something happened? Only 83% of the 1000 respondents who travel often with their dogs admit that an unrestrained dog in a car can be dangerous. Only 16% of them use restraints, according to AAA. Dog seat belts help save lives. You can see a vimeo of how the product works here