If you are transporting your pets in a vehicle, chances are you’re doing it wrong.
How many times have you seen a dog sitting loose in the bed of a pickup truck? Did you know that’s actually illegal?
The BC SPCA is reminding people to make sure pets are safely secured in their vehicle when travelling this summer.
“This time of year we start to see more people taking their pets, particularly dogs, with them on road trips or camping,” says SPCA’s Lorie Chortyk. “We recommend that pets are kept inside the vehicle in a secured crate or restrained with a dog seatbelt.”
Unrestrained pets are considered a distraction to drivers, according to the SPCA, and can cause collisions.
In a crash, pets become flying projectiles and can injure themselves, the driver and passengers. Dogs restrained in the back of trucks with loose ropes or ties can accidentally hang themselves. Depending on the weather, exposing your pet to the elements can also lead to heatstroke or hypothermia.
If a pet must be transported in the back of a truck the safest method is to keep them inside a secured crate in the centre of the truck box. Dogs can also be secured using short leads that are cross-tied to the animal’s harness.
It is against the law to transport an unsecured pet in the back of a pick-up truck under Section 72 of the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act and Section 9.3 of the B.C. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Unsecured dogs often fall out of the truck resulting in severe injuries, death and endangering nearby motorists.
“If you see a dog that is unattached in the back of a pickup truck, call 911 to report the license plate number, make and model of the vehicle and provide a description of the dog,” says Chortyk.
