Alright, so I know having your Weim ride shotgun with ears flapping in the wind, taking in all the outside smells is a pretty fun way to travel especially in the summer, but I’m going to be a little bit of a downer here.
Lee Meadows shared this photo with me recently, and this is one of the reasons I heart crates!
Your worst nightmare -- an accident with your Weims in your vehicle. Photo courtesy of Lee Meadows.
Lee said, “If it weren’t for my two wire crates that protected the lives of my two Weimaraner girls, they could have been dead or lost, escaped into the Arizona desert. I was riding as a passenger in my own SUV, when the driver lost control of my Ford Expedition and per witnesses we rolled over two times and down an embankment on Interstate 10, ending up against a huge Saguaro Cactus.”
You wouldn’t let an infant or young child ride loose in a car without a car seat or seat belt, right? Don’t endanger your Weims’ lives! Please have them ride with you in a crate (wire
JJ alive and well after the accident and hunting birds. Photo courtesy of Lee Meadows.
Be careful out there, and please keep your Weimies safe!
About justweims
I saw a headline referring to just this subject on either Yahoo or AOL this morning, but can’t find it now. I NEVER travel with my dogs out of their crates on the highway. I have inside the city when running to the store or what ever.
I am so glad that everyone (and the dogs) made it out safe and sound.
Guilty. Although not running loose, but leashed in the back seat. IT keeps her from roaming all over the car or jumping out the window, but in a serious accident, won’t keep her from probably breaking her neck as the leash is not a full body harness but just attached to her collar. I need to stop being so lazy and use the darn harness.
I recently switched to having my dogs in crates when we drive. Not only am I happier because I’m not having to constantly tell them to lay down, but I feel they are so much safer. My husband still rolls his eyes at me about crating the dogs but I just can’t imagine what an accident would be like with them loose in the car. Not only could they be seriously injured, but a flying 75 pound dog could seriously injure someone else in the car.
I’m SO glad that everyone was okay! I just got done visiting Arizona and heard about the accident. I would be devastated if anything ever happened to my Weimie. I
How Scary!!!! Same here, guilty as charged. Even though I have no room in my Nissan Murano for two big crates. What does everyone think about dog seatbelts? Do they save a dog’s life in an accident?
@iris: According to this video, seatbelts/harnesses aren’t all that great either:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyEZbcF-iVE
You could lose your backseats and put one big crate and cram them into one.
I personally know of at least a half a dozen people or more who claim that hard crates protected their dogs in accidents, including one happening to us. They may slide a round or bump up against them but those can be minor injuries compared to being loose in the vehicle. The vehicle crushing into to them, them being thrown around or like 70 pound rockets slamming into other passengers, or the possiblity of the dog getting lose and running away (if not injured) seem to me far worse.
Lee, glad you are all O.K.