Do you use seatbelts for your pets?

Question

Why or why not? Where can you get them??

Is that trainer on Its Me or the Dog right when she said "If you get in an accident and that dog isn't buckled in, he'll fly through the windshield taking your head right off."

Do you need seatbelts for cats? or just dogs?

Answer 1

my cat has a car-seat, my dog has a car-harness; and yes what she said is true, here's a couple articles about car safety for dogs and other pets:
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/fido/dog-safe.html#inthecar
http://www.pet-supplies-review.com/dog-car-accessories.html
you can buy dog car-seats almost anywhere! I bought my dog's car-harness at the grocery store in the dog aisle, and I bought my cat's car-seat at Petco...here's a link to where you can buy dog car-harnesses (seat-belts), dog car-seats (booster seats so small dogs can see out the window), or car crates for dogs online:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/NavResults.cfm?Ntt=car%20safety&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=2001&Nty=1
and yeah, a dog might seem small or lightweight but picture that dog flying forward when you crash while driving at 45 mph, that dog is gonna fly!
besides that, an unrestrained dog can jump out an open window or an open door in a strange neighborhood
and an unrestrained dog can be a major distraction to the driver, which can cause an accident
the reason I bought my pets car-seats is because I often drive my boss's mini van and he keeps tools in the back of his mini van (like table saws and other sharp not pet-friendly objects) so I figured if my pets weren't restrained then they'd be more likely to crawl into the back of the van and get hurt on one of the tools

Answer 2

I use a leash. I tie a knot in it so it makes two openings-the handle of the leash, and an opening from where I tied the knot. I then place one of those openings in the regular car seatbelt, fasten the seatbelt, and clip the lead to the dogs' collar.

Of course, bring a spare leash to actually take the dog out with, because my seatbelt is hard to un-do in a flash, but we have so many leashes around here, it's not hard to find a spare to turn into a seatbelt!

Of course, with a cat, this won't work, LOL. I just use a carrier for the 2 cats. They really don't go anywhere, anyways, beyond the vet.

Answer 3

I don't know about the decapitating you part but yes pets too should be buckled in. If they have nothing holding them in place they could be injured or killed if you crash or hit the breaks hard.

Dog/cats can be restrained in a crate in the car.

or

You can buy seatbelts for dogs online or at places like PetsMart for about 20 bucks.

These restraints will also keep animals from escaping if you open the door.

It's alot cheaper to buy a seatbelt of crate then pay for an emergency vet bill.

Alot cheaper then an emergency vet bill.

Answer 4

Absolutely. They are just like having children. If you stop too fast, or have an accident, they could be thrown or ejected, same as if they were people. I put my cats in their carriers, and then I seatbelt the carrier in the backseat, looping it through the handle of the carrier. They don't seem to mind, and I am much more comfortable knowing they won't go flying through the windshield, or worse.

Answer 5

You probably do need a seatbelt for your dog,they sell them in most good pet shops and they double up as a harness for walking.I think any dog would be very badly injured if involved in an accident. I'm a hypocrite though and don't use one-there's nothing my dog likes better that putting his head out of the window and blasting his ears off!! He loves it!

Answer 6

Yeah you can buy dog seatbelts from most pet shops or on ebay or otherwise if you have a small dog you can buy a portable kennel or bag which has a hook to connect a dogs leash so they wont more.
I have a little maltese shiht tzu and she sits in a dog bag that sits on the floor in the front and she loves it. It has a hook on it if you wont to connect them so that they don't move. I did that at the start but she just lays down now so I don't bother.
I brought that of ebay but I know that you can get them from pet shops but this was cheaper.

Answer 7

cats should be transported in a carrier, safely secured.
In the uk it is illegal not to have your dog secured, by means of either a dog guard or seatbelt.
You can get a harness in any good pet shop, and the car seat belt goes through the special loop on the back,
Mine are always seatbelted, for their safety, mine as a driver, and to stop them wandering around and causing a distraction.

Answer 8

I have a car seat for our dog so that she is raised up and can watch out of the window, but she is not in a seat belt because she trapped herself once so badly in it that it was too much of a hassle for her and me. I know that if I were in an accident she would probably fly through the car. I am trying not to think about it.
Here is the link to where I bought the carseat from:
http://www.dachshundtreasures.com/products/10040002.htm

Answer 9

Yes I do. You can get them online, just do a google search.

Anything (person, bag) that is not restrained in a car when it crashes has the potential to fly out of the windscreen. More likely, though, your unrestrained dog will hit the back of your seat and end up killing you or the front passenger.

Cats probably don't need them bc they are small and you can keep them in an animal carrier? (IDK, don't have cats).

Answer 10

My dog has a halter that fits with the seatbelt. She is seatbelted in just like me. She always gets sick in her crate so we tried this approach and it works.