Is YOUR dog safe in your car?
We sell first aid kits but we’ rather you didn’t need to use them!
Is YOUR dog safe in your car?
If not, you could also be breaking the law.
Under The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006, and The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Wales) Order 2007, it is illegal to transport an animal in a way that causes, or is likely to cause, injury or unnecessary suffering to that animal.
Some dogs are terrified in crates, which is one of the three legal ways you can safely travel with your dog in your car, so other, just as good ways luckily are also legal. We are a no crate rescue so would always advise alternative
safe and legal ways for your dogs to not only be safe but also enjoy going in the car!
A better way perhaps is a combination of a car safe harness and seat belt or head rest clip. With such safety laws in mind, we have sold both of these in our shop since it opened, and what is really good about these is that they can be quickly adapted into an emergency lead too! Below is just one type we sell. The stretch of the bungee also absorbs shocks during sudden stops and going round corners.
We also advise a good hammock, along with the clip and harness, although there are so many brands out there we don’t really have a recommendation for that. Once the shop expands we hope to be able to stock our favourite/most trusted by our team hammock.
They have straps that go round the headrest of your front seats and back seats.
These can be big enough to cover the entire back seat, with or without zipped sides. Open sides
means it's easier to open and let the dogs in and out rather than zipping and clipping, but the ones with sides
do save your car upholstery! Here's one with just flaps and not zips that can be a good compromise between the two.
There are also ones that are more like mini seats with sides
that take up just one seat in the back. These single seater tend to be in two sizes, to hold dogs up to 6kg and up to 10kg. These hammocks and single seats
are made to go in the back seat.
Just the same as a child under 12 or less than 135cm tall, which has been law since only 2006 dogs need to travel in the back too.
Think of your pup (legally) as like a baby up to three year old kid- not only do they have the vocabulary of one, they need to be kept safe in the back in the same way as you would your under three year old: in a car seat or restraint.
Car grilles, that fit with screws
into the car behind the back seats
should your car be set up for one (like an estate car for example) is also a safe and legal way to have your dogs in the car. Head rest clips can also be used in the boot, and we wouldn’t advise this for smaller dogs as they could roll all over the place if you’re going round a corner or suddenly had to stop.
Of course when you’re driving, there are hazards on the road all the time so is also important that a dog is suitably restrained in a vehicle so that it doesn’t distract the driver or injure them if the vehicle stops quickly.
These are covered on rules 56 and 57 of the UK Highway Code.
Just leaving the dog to wander on the back seat with their heads out of the window may be what they’re used to, but it’s been a no no since at least 2017, and the last thing you or your dog wants is their last act in a car crash is be hurled by the force of the accident into the back of your seat, killing both of you.
But don’t overdo it! Even in a crate they MUST have enough room to sit and stand up at full height, turn around easily and lie down in a natural position. You should also ensure that your dog is able to see out and that there is enough ventilation and airflow. Suitable bedding should be placed on the floor of a crate or a footwell in the car (if you use a footwell travel arrangement it’s best to have a floor anchored safety clip) to prevent the dog from slipping around during the journey. Hammocks are non slip usually for the (preferred by us) non crate option, and you can get non slip back seat and boot mats and liners too.
And don’t forget, you also need them to be on a harness on public transport as well with a visible and legal ID tag, which we also sell as we know how important it is to stick to this law.
And which law is this? The Control of Dog Act 1992 states that a dog must have the adopters’ address and a name on a pet tag or collar when out in a public place.
In fact, all dogs must have an up to date microchip and visible and legal ID tag on a collar or a harness when ever they are out of the house.
You can also be fined for not having this.
And unfortunately ignorance of the new laws won’t be an excuse. Everybody please make sure your dogs are compliant with the new regs! Especially if the worse happened and your dog got lost, or even worse, stolen or run over… However with the huge rise in dog thefts we no longer put the dog’s name on tags as we feel this makes a dog easier to entice away from an adopter and steal, and are campaigning to change the law on this and other vital dog related matters like Tuk’s Law, Jasmine’s Law and Lucy’s Law.
For more useful hints and tips, and to apply to adopt, volunteer for us or sponsor, check out our FB pinned post.
And if you need any stuff for your pup to stay safe in the car, we have a great range of safety (and cleaning!) products in our rescue shop
safety and health on your travels
and for once you get on the walk and treats too!
We are hoping as the rescue shop continues to get more and more popular, to be able to stock our team’s top tried and tested harnesses too.
With proceeds going to our pups and our community hub, there are lots of reasons to shop from a rescue.
Always remember to make sure your dog’s microchip and registry with someone like Petlog or Pettrac is up to date, as having an out of date chip is also against the law!
With just a few precautions, your dog could love being in the car just as much as this Lora's Luck dog!
So please... keep your dogs safe!
Further reading
This Kennel Club page gives a brilliant checklist for getting your dog safely out and walking your dog, highly recommended! Many of the precautions and items they recommend are on sale in our rescue shop.