Human drivers' mistakes create unintended consequences for their canine passengers. Some examples:

Dogs that aren't restrained, such as an untethered dog in the bed of a pickup truck, may ignore their training and jump from the vehicle if sufficiently enthused. If the truck is moving, the injury could be much worse than a broken leg. The same is true for dogs in a car or truck's cab if a window is left open wide enough for the dog to squeeze through.
An unrestrained dog can become a missile in an accident. In a 25 mile per hour crash, the dog generates a force equal to 40 times its body weight, according to a 2014 Allianz report. A 10-pound Yorkie would strike the windshield, or a passenger, with 400 pounds of force. And a dog in the front passenger seat can suffer severe injury or death from airbags, just as young children can.
We've all seen dogs with their heads sticking out of a moving car's window, mouth open, tongue out, and enjoying the breeze. As the car's speed increases, so does the risk of eye injury to the dog from airborne debris. There's a reason why people sit behind windshields. Dogs' eyes are as vulnerable as ours.
Leaving a dog in a car during warm weather can be a fatal mistake. It doesn't have to be Las Vegas in July. The American Kennel Club advises, "The inside of a vehicle parked in 70-degree weather can reach 100 degrees in just 20 minutes. On very hot days, temperatures inside parked cars can climb to 140 degrees Fahrenheit in less than one hour." Dogs' built-in cooling system, panting, is different than ours, making them more susceptible to heatstroke and death. Leaving the window open "a crack" helps only a little.
Travel poses a less obvious risk to dogs: exposure to the parvovirus, a disease that kills 91% of its victims if not promptly treated. The rates of parvo vaccination vary by state and locality.

These same owner oversights can harm the owners as well as their dogs beyond the large veterinary bills or loss of a loved companion. There can be other costs and even legal consequences.

Special Reports /

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