Owning a dog is an act of love and deep, abiding friendship. Over time, your dog turns into more than just a pet, they become a member of your family.
Dog parents are responsible for their pup’s well-being and safety. But sometimes, accidents can happen when we least expect them.
A woman revealed why she cries whenever she sees a dog hanging its head out of a car window.
Kristin Minassian shared a personal and painful memory on social media, explaining that the sight of a dog leaning out of the car brings her back to the day that her beloved dog died by jumping out the window while she was driving.
“In a moment, it became one of the worst days of our life,” Minassian wrote. “It was over 15 years ago, but every single time I see a dog hanging its head out the window with the window fully down, I get taken back to that Sunday morning when out of nowhere, our dog decided to jump out the window.”
“Just don’t do it!” she warned. “It was one of the most horrible things we went through.”
Losing a pet is a painful experience, and losing a pet in a tragic way makes that loss even more traumatizing.
In the comments, people affirmed Minassian’s experience, with some sharing stories of losing their dogs in the same way.
“I’m so, so sorry,” one woman wrote. “Our dog, my best friend, died last year after his sixth birthday. He jumped from the third row onto the trunk area and broke his neck.”
“My heart will never heal,” she concluded.
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It’s only natural that a dog will stick their head out the car window while their owners are driving. The feeling of wind on their fur is a simple pleasure, and their powerful noses sniff out what’s going on in the world, just by the scents they pick up on the air as they go.
Even though dogs love putting their heads out of the car window, owners shouldn’t let them do so without safety precautions in place.
Bertha, a certified instructor of pet first aid and safety education, shared her insight on car safety for dogs.
“When using a car seat belt or restraint, you need to make sure that you have a really good harness that is hopefully car-crash tested [and] approved,” she said.
“Crates and kennel for your dogs that have been car-crash tested really depend on the size of your dog and, to be honest, your budget,” she continued.
The Animal Humane Society (AHS) explained why it’s so important to keep our pets safe and secure when they’re in the car. If a car crash happens at a speed as slow as 25 miles per hour, an unrestrained dog can be propelled forward at a force that’s 40 times their weight.
The AHS recommends the use of kennels or crates for our four-legged friends, whether the car ride is just around the block or a cross-country road trip. If you don’t want to crate them in the car, the next best option is a harness or seat that buckles into the car’s seat belt system.
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The American Kennel Club (AKC) offered additional safety tips for driving with dogs, noting that the passenger seat is never a safe option because they’re at risk of being injured if the airbag goes off.
As far as safety harnesses go, the AKC recommended finding one with thick, padded straps that will distribute impact force as widely as possible in case of an accident. They also advised getting a harness with a short tether that secures at your dog’s back and not their neck.
A dog should be able to sit upright or lie down comfortably when they’re wearing a safety harness in the car.
It might initially seem like restraining your dog and not opening the car window all the way takes away one of their truest joys, but at the end of the day, keeping our dogs safe is the most important part of being a pet parent.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango’s news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
