Buckle up- your dog.

I saw a funny thing the other day. A woman was driving with her dog in the front passenger seat of the car. At first glance it looked like two blonde out for a ride until the dog turned around. Gave me a giggle, until I considered the consequences of having your beloved pet unrestrained in the front seat of the car. I remember how our dog loved the car and hanging his
face out of the window breathing into the wind. Like many spoilt andbpampered dogs he knew which was his seat and often I would take the back
seat  to the dog. But the dangers are clear, the dog won’t wear a seat belt and no self respecting dog will sit in the back seat. Here we can’t count the bag dogs,(any canine small enough to fit into a handbag) which are more accessory than animal. But what if the driver were to brake hard or be rear ended? The dog will end up through the windscreen or worse on the drivers lap. And what about the danger to other road users, as a moment of
distraction could turn good doggie into a cause for a death.

So in the interests of animal anti- cruelty there should be a law against
this kind of thing. Sure the dog likes sitting in the passenger seat but the
risks are high. The dog must be protected from him or her self, as in this
case the dog does not know what its best interests are. And of course we
can’t discriminate. What about cats then? They would be unlikely to be
content with sitting quietly for a country drive and soon would demand
attention or the chance to drive the car.

The SPCA should get involved, dangerous dog transportation  could be up
there with neglect. WE must protect our pets.

So if we believe that our animals are worthy of legal protection, please
explain how sane, intelligent people persist in driving with children on
their laps, not in car seats, with their noses pressed up against the rear
window, standing up between the driver and passenger seats, etc.

The risks are huge and well documented. In a collision any unsecured item in
a vehicle becomes a missile. Try this simple test. Balance a cool-drink on
the passenger seat and drive at 60 km. Brake suddenly and see what happens
to the cool-drink. Yup on the floor. Oh you weren’t wearing a seat belt,
sorry about that, we should have warned you. See what happens when you have
to stop suddenly.

So in the interests of animal and human rights we must all pull together and
talk some sense into those members of society who do not believe that the
laws of physics apply to them and gravity is merely a myth. Today do your
part, don’t let friends risk the lives of their innocent pets and equally
innocent children. Talk some sense into them, for the sake of their kids.