Pets as passengers: Put safety first when taking a car ride with your pet

Whether it's a ride to the local dog park, a trip to the vet, or simply driving around and enjoying the weather, nobody makes a better back seat driver than Fido. He never tells you how to drive or when you missed your turn. He's just thrilled to be along for the ride.

While traveling with your pet, however, it's important to remember that just as people have seat belts, our animals need to be kept safe as well. It's an issue that does not go unnoticed by your pet's doctor, either.

"The safest thing for smaller animals in the car, especially cats, is a pet carrier. We have had instances of cats who were just being held, escaping in the parking lot, and that was the last time they were seen," says Dr. Sean Bryd of Skyview Animal Clinic in Cape Girardeau.

Not only does a carrier benefit your pet while you're driving, but in the case of animals who are nervous with travel, it also can keep them safe upon exiting the vehicle.

The main issue, Bryd explains, is "keeping the pet out of the front seat, where they could interfere with the driver. Whether it's a small dog who could get under the pedals, or a large dog who just wants to sit in your lap like he's used to doing on the couch at home, they are putting both themselves and the driver at risk by being a distraction or interfering with the driving."

Many safe options exist, both for keeping our furry friends from getting too cuddly in the car, and for keeping them safe in case of an accident. Stacy Busch-Heisserer, owner of Busch Pet Products in Cape Girardeau, can give a run down on nearly any travel safety item for your pet.

"We carry a couple different harness styles; one I use every day with my dog. She rides in the front seat, but I always turn the air bag off. It's very important that if you have your pet in the front seat, the air bag is disabled. They can do even more damage if they go off than a car accident would," says Busch-Heisserer.

There also are tethers for the back seat that allow your dog to move around while still being secured, and back seat "hammocks" that contain your dog in the back, keeping him off the floorboard, while still allowing him freedom of movement.

Mississippi Mutts, another Cape Girardeau pet store, also carries harnesses and tethers to aid you in keeping your pet safe.

But it's not just while driving that safety should be considered. With the approach of summer weather, it's equally important to be aware of your dog's safety while the vehicle is parked.

"Leaving dogs in hot vehicles is definitely a big issue," Byrd says. "Dogs are panters, so the air they are breathing in needs to be cooler than the air they are breathing out, otherwise they can't cool themselves. You or I could simply sweat and cool down that way, but the dog needs that cooler air, otherwise they may overheat. They need more than just a little cracking of the window, too -- there needs to be enough air flow to keep it cool inside the vehicle."

So next time you hop into your car for a trip with your pet, think carefully about how to keep both yourself and your animal safe. There are plenty of options available to make the ride as safe as it is fun.