Counting my blessings………. - Page 1

To all of you out there like me – STOP – my GSD has always traveled with me to the store or across the states - allowing him to lay on the back seat of my Land Cruiser – I say load – up he goes – he lays on the back seat – he is respectful – does not bark at any person or thing……..falls asleep when I am driving- never paces- looks around when I am parked and observes but never a peep………..I have always thought about “what if” I were to get rear ended or in an accident– and then I would quickly put it out of my mind. When in reality I knew I should always crate my dog in the vehicle so he would be safe…………..well my worst nightmare came true on a Monday at 3:30pm – my beautiful GSD was out and about with me – I am sitting at a red light and out of no where we feel and hear the crash I watch my dog fly from the back seat to the front – I am terrified and quickly put my car into park grab him and start checking him out – no whimpers were heard – he was busy shaking it off and I was praying “dear lord give me one more chance” – I was involved in an accident where the two cars behind me were totaled and airbags deployed and the 3rd. car which was a minivan was going 25 miles an hour and ran into the car behind me in which that car ran into me – she was arrested for DUI and put in jail with no drivers license and expired insurance………………..long story short – I immediately took my GSD to the vet for an exam – monitored him for any internal bleeding – watched for any stiffness – but I was lucky – none appeared – he lived – he is not stiff and sore (I am) – no broken bones – no trauma – NOTHING – moral of the story – he has a beautiful x-lg crate in the back of my Land Cruiser. Keep your precious cargo safe. Thanks for listening.

Thank goodness both of you were not hurt! There was a very bad accident on the highway a few years back and their GSD went right through the front windshield and didn't make it. I have a dodge pickup and on nice day's if I have to take the dog's where ever, they go in the very back in a crate. One day coming back from training, there was a severe accident and it just stopped at the 2nd car behind us. I was terrified, because the car that started the chain, went into the middle of the highway and hit a police cruiser that was parked for speeder's. We really need to get an SUV.

I do the same thing, Renz, but won't anymore. Thanks for the reminder. I'm very happy that your dog is OK.

Kelly, Yes, you do need an SUV - I will tell you that my husband "bless his heart" has alway insisted on a Land Cruiser - well no I do not sell them - but I only have some scratches on the bumper and the towing package may be somewhat damaged- the gentleman in the Grand Prix kept on saying you have a tough car - but thank you for your kind words and I really am thankful my dog was not hurt. Do most people use crates or restraints??????????

We have a van for hauling one or two dogs around in. With crates. If we take more then two, we use our cargo trailer we converted to a dog trailer with crates. Most of our vehicle crates are the heavy duty wire ones for better ventilation. Using crates in the vehicle was drilled into me years ago by a lady that taught obedience. As she explained it, if you get into a wreck and YOU are hurt, the dog may try to protect you from the rescuers. The rescuers will do whatever is necessary to help you, even if it means your dog is injured, or worse, in the process. That sold me.

Ok, here's another scenario.. this happened in Texas, guy was driving home from an agility trial. He had an Explorer that blew a tire and it flipped.. neither dog (both GSD's) was in a crate.. the older dog was thrown out the back window and then killed when the SUV rolled over her and the other dog escaped and was missing for over 20 days in the heat in Texas in July or something like that befoe she was found. Very sad and very happy .. our dogs have always been in crates.. so much safer.

When I took defensive driving for the 6th time in 12 years, last year, the teacher told us about things in a vehicle that become bullets that can kill u and them,if an animal...not in a crate......lunch boxes, jars, anything in your back seat loose, can ,when hit in a wreck hit u in the back of head and knock u out.., or if a pet throw them into ur head, or through the back or front windshield, or out the window.....Ive always crated any animal, small or large.....and I try to take my shoes, tools, and junk out of my back seat.......I saw a sunvisor that rammed thru a front windshield and could have decapitated the womans head , because she drove with it half way towards her not all the way up and not all the way down.......freak things....be safe.....glad ur okay,...and doggie pooh also....

I've read that a wire crate can be turned into deadly spikes if involved in an accident. Any comments? Years ago we used to be able to buy very heavy duty metal and wooden crates. Not sure if they are available anymore. I use mesh crates and it doesn't seem to me that they are safe either. One has a very heavy metal frame with heavy canvas sides and I think that one might be as good as anything in the event of a wreck, but I'm not sure. I drive a TrailBlazer that folds down in the back. It's not entirely flat, but works out OK.

No wire crates for me. I may have to put fans on the vari-kennels in summer but its better than spikes in case of accident. My next vehicle will have side airbags fore and aft. I do let my dog ride free in the back of the van sometimes, seats removed, but I do worry about it... Then again, when I have 4 crates in the back the rear-most ones are so close to the back hatch I worry about being rear-ended and them getting killed that way... and someone hitting the dog trailer, and and and... My next dog trailer will be heavy because it will have a heavy steel step bumper protruding all the way around to protect the boxes more. There is no really safe set up as far as I can see. One does one's best with what one can afford. SS

Hey Blitzen and Shelley- I didn't even think about that - wow now I am overwhelmed - OK what about those saftey gates?- I am going to investigate the mesh crates - that may be a better alternative.......thank you - I also have to say Yellow Rose of Texas - you are so right - I had a box with a dog dishes etc..........and it was behind the back seat and things flew out of there - like projectile...... Shelley what vehicle has airbags in the back? I may need a new vehicle - if you can get them on the side and back - alls I know about it the Volvo stationwagon -