Life turned on a dime one afternoon on highway 154, the pass between Santa Barbara, California and Santa Ynez. Diane Stevenett was traveling with her dog Jake. The car was fully packed with a lot of art painting stuff including a giant white paper roll, painting accessories, brushes, watercolors, equipment for music class, and Jake “the Great” took up the entire 2nd row of seats behind the driver, his usual spot.
As they came up on a traffic jam, her car was last in the row when suddenly a raised black monster pick-up appeared trying to “shoot the gap.” The car in front of her dogged aside, and her car was exposed to the giant truck.
The collision was unavoidable. In a few seconds, the car was smashed, blood and glass all over Diane and Jake as he was thrown into the windshield. Both of them ended up thrown out of their car, onto the road. Jake and Diane survived this severe accident but Jake’s internal injuries set into motion his early death later. The heartache of the whole matter was, for Diane, a major struggle.
Jake and his health conditions forced Diane to think, she could have protected Jake from the accident if she has followed some safety measures… if not completely, then to a much greater measure.
According to a major automobile service company, over 80% of dog owners drive with their pets in the car. Over 84% who drive with their pet, do not restrain them in the car. In 2013, 172,000 children were in car crashes with injuries and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that of those crashes with children who were injured, over 80% had pets on board. Its not just about the pet…
Diane Stevenett, co-author of the new international award winning book, How To Save Your Pet From A Disaster was Jake’ the Great’s mother years ago and thinks back, “Had I known what I know today, I would have been more prepared and could have possibly lessened Jake’s chance of being injured. My research to be better educated and prepared lead me to write this guidebook.”
2 X Chicken Soup For The Soul Best Selling NY Times Author Raymond Aaron said after he saw the book How To Save Your Pet From A Disaster, THE essential emergency preparedness guide for feathered friends and fur babies, ” If you are a pet owner, this book is a “Must Read” because you know how the care of pets pulls so forcefully on your heartstring. There is no other book, as complete and authoritative, on the essential subject in the pet industry. I highly recommend it! Gift one today!”
You love your pet and there are things you can do easily and have peace of mind knowing your treasured pet is more safe and ready for your next trip. Be “pet prepared.” Remember, your pet may turn into your “therapy animal” in an emergency so think ahead and protect them like you would your child.
3 Tips For Travelling With Your Pet From How To Save Your Pet From A Disaster
1. Consider microchipping (Page 16): unrestrained pets may bolt from cars, making a bad situation much worse.
2. A harness around the chest of your pet for securing it to the seating will more evenly distribute the tension or stress on the body during an accident thereby reducing the potential for injury. If you only have the animal tied to its collar around the neck, the animal may be strangled or have its neck broken. (Page 20, 30)
3. Secure the pet to the seat’s restraints. They are made to stay connected and fastened in an accident. (Page 33)
Old pets need special care and protection. They’re reaction times are slower,
they are more fragile and they are emotionally more unstable.
There are literally hundreds of other tips and suggestions you have not thought of for a wide variety of situations besides car accidents. Being prepared suggests that you brainstorm as many as you can and begin implementing the tips that seem most important to you.