In return we give them our companionship, a warm home, food and water, and security. Or do we?
Ask yourself a few questions. The last time you took Fluffy for a ride in the car, did you roll the window down so she could pop her head out and catch the breeze? When you stopped in a store did you leave her in the car? When you let her out to run around the yard was it fenced in? The gate locked? Is Fluffy's name on her tags, does she even have tags?
Lets start with car rides, shall we? The last time you washed your car did you notice the little paint chips or dings around the nose of the hood? Any dings in the windshield? Those dings and chips come from stones being kicked up by cars and trucks in front of you. When Fluffy puts her head out the window, she is just as much a target as your hood or windshield.
Recent tests preformed by the insurance industry reported that dogs that are not belted become projectiles in head-on collisions. Not only can they be severely injured but they can hurt passengers as well. Pets should ride in carriers or crates keeping them safe from injury as well as out of the driver's way. If a carrier or crate isn't possible, seatbelts and seats are also available for your pet.
While we are still talking about cars, let's think about leaving your pet in the car while you run in the store. People have been leaving their pets in their car for a long time without a second thought. Well think again. Hundreds of dogs are stolen from cars every year, quite often by people who use them to train fighting dogs. It is a cruel way for Fluffy to die. And, if Fluffy isn't stolen, there is also the possibility of heat stroke and death. Even on days when we humans feel comfortable, the temperature inside a car can climb to well over 120° causing heat stroke or worse. Even with the windows cracked to let some air in, your car can become an oven to a helpless dog. On a 90° day it only takes fifteen minutes for the heat to build enough to sicken a dog or cat and a half hour can prove deadly.
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