Dogs in Cars.......a Plea and a Warning....

[Shelteez2]

Please please please make sure you have your dog restrained in some way when it is in your car before you open the door. If that is not possible then please please please make sure you train your dogs to not jump out of the car until you tell them to.

Today at work a lady was bringing her two dogs in to get their nails cut. When she opened her car door her chihuahua, Chalupa, jumped out and ran across the parking lot onto Bow Trail, a very busy road, and got hit by a car. My co-worker grabbed the keys to my boss's truck and got the lady and the dog inside and took them to the emergency vet but sadly the dog died. :(

So please just take a minute to get your dogs under voice control or slip a leash on them before you open your car door.

[CagneyDog]

OMG :( Thats horrible.

We don't take Cagney in the car, so i thankfully dont need to worry about that.

The owner must be devastated. ( RIP poor, Chalupa.

[NoahsMommy]

That's horrible! :( Poor lady....poor dog. :(

[ParNone]

Ironic that you should mention this. The other day when I took Gull and Murph to the pet resort, Gull unexpectedly bailed out of the car on me at a very busy highway.

I had opened the back of the car and then slipped his leash on. Since he's normally afraid of heights, he's never attempted to jump out before, so I didn't say "Wait". I took my focus off of him for a second to put Murph's leash on and out he went.

He wasn't at a full run or anything, so with just a couple of steps I could step on the leash and stop him. He's got a fairly good recall, so I don't think we were in any real danger, but I have to admit I was glad he had his leash on and we didn't have to test that recall, right next to such a busy highway.

Edited to add: I also lucked out in that I got back to the car very quickly, because Murph was leaning over the edge, contemplating jumping himself.

Par...

[dukedogsmom]

Duke wears a harness and leash at all times and he's seatbelted in. I think it was irresponsible of that woman to let her dogs out like that. I feel bad for the dogs. The woman needs to get a clue.

[k9krazee]

Poor dog :(:(

[jennifert9]

Oh how sad!:( I wish she had just stopped and thought for a minute...
Duncan always wears his leash in the car. He used to wear a seatbelt but he broke it trying to chase a squirrel he saw outside the car...(Duncan in the car is an entire day's conversation, he's a nightmare!!)
Since we have been traveling alot lately with Collin living in another state and my niece's b'days the last 2 months (4 hour drives, both of them) I sometime take his leash off once we get on the highway to let him get more comfortable. But I ALWAYS put it back on before I open the car doors, whether it's just a pit stop or we've actually arrived. I am terrified of him getting hit by a car. I think it's my biggest fear.
Val, what kind of seatbelt do you use? I bought the one I talked about earlier but it had plastic buckles and Duncan is so strong, he snapped them.

[lizbud]

I think that's an excellent reminder for people, especially those
with more than one dog in the car. I have trained (and reinforce
daily) the wait/ stay command with Smokey & Maggie. Always
put their leashes on before getting out of the car. I see how it
could be easy to become distracted though.

[KYS]

Very heart breaking.
My heart aches for the Chi owner.

[crsvstang]

That is really awful! I feel bad for the lady and her dog.:(

[gemini9961]

That is a great reminder. I leash mine before we get out if we are getting out in a new place. If it somewhere like my parents house then they stay close by.

[cali]

thats awful, Ripley is always kenneled in the van for this reason, Blair preferes to be crated, anyhow, perky and Happy wont go anywhere, neither will Misty but I dont trust her quite as much and I leash her before the door is opened, if we are going to a public place Happy just jumps out of the van and stands there and waits till I have the other dogs secured. trust me with 5 dogs having a very trustworthy dog like Happy is a HUGE relief lol

[anna_66]

That is so sad:(

Mine ride in crates and always have their leashes on. I don't want to take any chances because even thought they know the word "wait" they sometimes are so happy to get out they can't hardly contain themselves.

[luvofallhorses]

:( That's so sad :(

[CagneyDog]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
The woman needs to get a clue.

I agree that it was irresponsible but I'm sure it was just a huge accident. It just takes one slip for this kind of stuff to happen. I'm sure she was a responsible pet owner. Accidents happen.

I bet she is absolutely heart broken. :(

[Bigyummydog]

We are always scoping out the area before we even stop
the truck. But, he does know if he's getting out or not.
If we are in a questionable area, he does get his leash
first. And, he's sooo strong, at times it takes us both
(Kevin and me), to hold him. Like Anna said, "Sometimes
he just can't contain himself." Who knows when a
squirrel might show up?

Good reminder to all, thanks! :p

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
Duke wears a harness and leash at all times and he's seatbelted in. I think it was irresponsible of that woman to let her dogs out like that. I feel bad for the dogs. The woman needs to get a clue.

She didn't just "let" the dogs out. She opened her car door and got out herself and went to pick up her dogs to bring them into the shop like she's done countless times before. She always carried Chalupa and Bailey (the pom) was on a leash or carried also. This time though Chalupa didn't wait to be carried.

I cannot even begin to imagine the guilt she must feel.

[Vette]

:eek: That poor lady. :(

i always carry Kirby into the vets office myself. but i always make sure i have a hold of him before opening the door. however i can see how easily that can happen though,, especially if more then one person is in the car.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

good post - always worries me when people let their dogs travel unrestrained in cars. Tobey always has his harness and lead on with just enough length so he can get comfortable but not enough for him to wander about - have a feeling he'd been on my lap in a flash! Must have been an awful thing to witness

[Ginger's Mom]

How very very sad. My heart goes out to his woman. :(

[joycenalex]

alex wears a harness and sits attached to a seatbelt in the back seat. i have the leash in my hand when i unsnap him. poor lady, she must be devastated.

[cyber-sibes]

what a heartbreak! She must feel devastated.
You have really got to know how your dog reacts when the door is opened. But there's always that one time they do something different, like this Chi. Very sad.

(all 3 of mine are different- Star waits, Sherman wears his leash & I grab it before he jumps out, and Speeo is tied so he can't jump out at all. ) We go in the car almost every day.

[RobiLee]

This is so sad. I feel so bad for the dog owner. This is something that I fear all the time. Thank you for reminding me to always be careful and to work on recalls and control.

[beeniesmom]

OH, I'm so sorry!
A few weeks ago Beenie did that but we were in a parking lot. It could have ended badly.
I've been very careful about it since then.

[Chica]

I HAVE ALWAYS PUT "CHICA" IN A DOGGIE SEAT SINCE I HAD HER AS A PUPPIE. ;) SHE LOVES TO TRAVEL WITH ME IN THE CAR. :)

[mruffruff]

I always have my dogs on leashes and restrained in the car. Should the unthinkable happen and we're in an accident, I don't want to take a chance that they would get away because the doors pop open or I'm not conscious. It really helps if I need to stop for gas or anything where they don't get out.

I wish they would make a quick-connect seat belt. The one I've seen take forever to get on a wiggly dog.

Mary

[lvpets2002]

I will bet the owner was so upset about her baby running out like that. But I will admitt my dogs or cats will always be harnessed or in a pet carrier when we go anywhere. :(

[Dixieland Dancer]

:( I'm sure the woman is devestated. :( This is a great reminder to all of us to be more careful with our beloved pets.

[ramanth]

How devestating. :(

Kia wears a seatbelt when in the car and gets leashed before I unhook the belt.

[Chica]

MY CHIHUAHUA"CHICA" is always harnessed and in a doggie seat in the car. And before I let her out of the car she is leashed. In fact, she waits to be leashed and then I pick her up out of the doggie seat and put her down. Or, if I can't put her down from the car, I carry her. :) ;)
That poor woman and her Chi. I would be crying for months over loosing my Chi.:( :( :(

[wolf_Q]

That is so sad. :( And exactly the reason why I'm so paranoid with Nebo in the car.....he always wears a harness attached to the seat belt.

[senorita02]

OMG that is just horrible i feel so bad for the poor lady, and poor doggies, :(