Traveling with Your Pet: Here are Some Pet Safety Tips

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana. Traveling with your pet can be stressful. However, there are steps you can take to make sure that your four-legged friend is safe during your next car ride. Here are some tips for traveling by car with your pet:

• Get the right travel crate. In general, your pet will be safest if he or she remains in a crate while you are traveling. According to the ASPCA, the crate should be properly ventilated, tall enough for your pet to stand up, and have enough room so that your pet can move around freely inside the crate.
• If you don’t use a carrier or crate, get a proper pet harness. According to Consumer Reports, a proper pet harness not only protects your pet in the event of an accident, it can also protect you. In the event of an accident, your 60 pound dog, traveling at 35 miles per hour, can become a projectile that weighs 2,700 pounds.
• Bring food, water, garbage bags, medication, and documents from your vet. Long car rides can be very stressful for your pet. Make sure to bring enough food and water. Stop frequently for bathroom breaks and to ensure your pet has a snack. If you are taking a long drive, limit you time on the road and plan where you will stop each night. Not all hotels permit pets.
• Make sure your pet has proper ID. Microchip your pet. Make sure your pet is wearing a tag with your name and address and phone number. Finally, bring along your vet papers and evidence that your pet has had his or her rabies shots. Some state border crossings may require that animals be properly identified as having received all required shots.
• Don’t let your pet stick his or her head out the window.
• Don’t leave your pet alone in the car. It is summer time. Within minutes your car can become dangerously hot. You wouldn’t leave a child alone in a parked car. Don’t do the same with your pet.

Traveling with a pet can create unique hazards for drivers, too. For example, an unrestrained pet allowed to roam freely in a vehicle can wedge him or herself beneath your car’s brakes or gas, leading to a potentially dangerous situation. If your pet is roaming freely in the vehicle, your pet can also distract you. Distracted driving is dangerous driving. Finally, if you find yourself involved in a crash, your pet could be injured.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a distracted driver, or if your pet was injured in a car accident, you may have certain rights under the law. You may even be entitled to seek damages for your pet’s medical costs and expenses. The The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm are personal injury lawyers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who help victims suffering from brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a crash, visit us at http://www.lawbowling.com/ to learn more about your rights.

The Bowling Christiansen Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation

1615 Poydras Street, Suite 1050

New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112

Phone: (504) 586-5200

Toll Free: (504) 586-5200