If you’re a pet owner and take your pet on car journeys with you then there’s a few ways you can make your pet more comfortable. Here are our top 10 tips to making sure they and you enjoy your time in the car.
- Make sure that your dog is safely restrained with a car harness, a travel crate or strong well-fitting dog-guard. While there is currently no law that stipulates that a dog must be restrained whilst travelling in a vehicle, the Highway Code does offer advice on best practice.
- If you're travelling abroad then you can find out about quarantine and the Pet Passport / Pet Travel Scheme from the DEFRA website.
- Provide fresh drinking water at all times (non-spill bowls are available) and make plenty of stops on your journey for him to stretch his legs and relieve himself. Never exercise your dog on the hard shoulder of a motorway – wait for a service station.
- Never leave a dog alone in a car, especially on a warm or hot day. Ensure that the sun is not directly on him whilst you are travelling and try to make your journey during the coolest part of the day. If you use a sunshade attached to the window, make sure that it does not obscure your vision. Make sure that someone stays with your dog when you stop at a service station; a dog can die in a hot car within 20 minutes.
- To reduce the likelihood of your pet suffering from car sickness, don’t feed your dog just before travelling. If your dog is due to be fed, offer a small amount, but ensure that it is at least an hour before travelling.
- If your dog is travel sick, or does not travel well, seek advice from your vet, and only use medication prescribed specifically for your dog by your vet.
- Find out if your vehicle recovery service will allow your dog to travel in the cab with you if you have a breakdown. It may not be safe for your dog to travel in your towed car.
- Don’t let your dog stick his head out of the window as passing vehicles could injure your pet, his eyes or ears could be damaged by particles in the air or he could try to jump out.
- Did you know that the inside of a car legally constitutes a public place This means that anyone who is bitten when sticking his or her fingers through your car window could report you under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. If you have been ordered to keep your dog muzzled in public then you must muzzle him whilst he is in the car also. (This does not apply if the car is parked for example on a private drive).
- If you're planning to take your dog with you on your holidays, there are some safety and welfare considerations. See the Dogs Trust website for more details.
