Seat-Belt Rules! CISC Summer Issue 2006

Seat-belt Rules!
By Bonnie and Sushi the Shiba Inu

On January 8, 2005 at 5:30pm, I had no idea just how important it was to ensure a dog's safety in a car. Gone are the days where the happy pooch can run amok in the car, head sticking out of the window. If you allow your dog to do these things, please read my story.

Saturday was a fairly normal winter day. Snow on the ground, not too cold, roads were clear. I hadn't taken Sushi, my then 1.5 yr old male Shiba Inu, to the off leash park in several weeks due to the weather, but today seemed like a good day to go. Or, so I thought. Sushi and I spent over an hour at the off leash park, we met a Shiba mix, and Sushi played with several of his pals, having a wonderful time playing in the snow. It was starting to get dark, so that meant it was time to go home.

To leave the park, sometimes you had to wait because of traffic - lights had not been installed in the area yet. I was waiting and waiting to turn left, and then another car pulled up behind us. I didn't want to make them wait either, so I thought it was best to turn right. Two minutes later, I wish I had waited. An oncoming car, coming right off of the 410 highway, for some unknown reason, turned and hit the car in the next lane in front of me, with enough force to knock that car into the ditch. Within 2 seconds, I went from thinking, "Thank God that car isn't going to hit us", to "Oh my God, we might die". I saw the car about to hit my car, I heard Sushi scream, and then it was black.

When I opened my eyes, I could smell the airbags. Sushi was quiet, so I quickly managed to get out of the car to check on him. He was scared, but physically he was ok. Exactly 1 week before, I hadbought Sushi a safety harness for the car. He had had one before, but could easily get out of it. This one fits more snugly on him, and he can't move around as much - he can sit and lie down.
When I finally took a look at my car, which by the way was a complete write-off, there was no doubt in my mind, that if Sushi hadn't had some kind of restraint in the car that day, he would have been seriously injured or dead. The oncoming car had not only hit the front end, but had then managed to also hit the driver's side of my car, the side where Sushi was.

Even though I was wearing my seatbelt and both airbags went off, I had 7 months of physiotherapy for my knees and back. Sushi didn't suffer any physical problems. But, it did take about 2 months for him to not be afraid in the car. I have since taken a course in First Aid for Pets.

One month after our accident, a good friend of mine emailed me. She and her dogs had been leaving another off-leash park, and they were in a very bad accident. The dogs were not restrained. Both dogs survived with some bruising, they were very lucky. Because of the impact, the smaller dog flew back into the upper back area of the car. My friend has since purchased a car barrier.

Not long after that, I witnessed an overly excited dog, which WAS in a different style of seatbelt harness, jump out of the front passenger window - he saw the dog park and just couldn't wait. He was unhurt, but the owner was visibly shaken up.

Please find the proper restraint for your dog in the car. Do not allow your dog to sit in the front seat. Small children are not allowed, why should your dog? Do not let your dog stick it's head out of the window. Flying debris could hit your dog.

Sushi now rides in the car comfortably, always wearing his seatbelt harness. The seatbelt loops through the back of his harness. He sits in the middle where he can see us and we can see him. He still associates the car as a "good thing", and he feels the same way about his seatbelt harness. So do I.

[Ed. Thanks to Bonnie, and to Sushi for modelling his safety harness. Sushi’s seatbelt harness is the Canine Friendly Vest Harness http://www.caninefriendly.com/ This harness and other brands are available at pet stores throughout Canada.]