Whats the topic for today?
A totally avoidable cause of injury and death in dogs
What cause is that?
Falling off the back of a moving vehicle
Is that something that happens often?
Too often! It shouldnt happen at all! I’ve dealt with 3 cases since Christmas which i find totally unacceptable.
How do these accidents happen?
Usually dogs standing on the back of a flat deck truck or ute. They sometimes loose their balance and slide over the edge.
And how are these accidents avoided.
The dog simply needs to be tied to the deck. And the rope needs to be short enough to prevent the dog falling off the deck. If the rope is too long and the dog falls off the deck then it will either be strangled or dragged along behind the vehicle.
What sort of injuries do these dogs end up with.
If they are not tied on at all they tend to tumble down the road and end up with multiple fractures and internal injuries. If they are tied on with a long rope then they end up being dragged along behind the vehicle, sometimes for several km before the driver realises.
That sounds awful
It is! These dogs end up with a lot of missing skin as well as fractures and often wear all their toes down to the bone as they try to stand up and regain their balance. Most require euthanasia. If the rope is just long enough to allow the dog to fall over the edge but not hit the ground then they simply strangle to death as they hang there.
This all sounds very distressing
Yes its very distressing for the owner as they usually feel responsible for not tying them on properly. Its distressing for the vet having to sort out the mess. Its even more distressing for passers by and people in the car following the accident as they witness the whole gruesome scene but can do absolutely nothing about it. Some people end up following the truck for several km trying to get the drivers attention before the truck finally stops. Can you imagine the emotional trauma those people will have gone through.
Yes it all sounds so tragic and totally avoidable. Hopefully people will get the message and tie them on properly.
Yes. It is actually against the law to travel with a dog on a flat bed truck or ute without tying it on but people are still not getting the message.
Why do you think that is?
The people I have stopped and spoken too simply think it just wont happen to their dog. They think their own dog is so sure footed that there is no way it could fall! They say their dog has never fallen off before. Well the fact is that any dog can lose its balance, and they will only do it once because most of these accidents are fatal.
So the message is be sensible and tie your dogs on safely so that it is impossible for them to fall off the back by keeping the rope short.
Thats right. And tie the rope to the middle of the truck not towards one edge. Its all common sense really. Please do this at all times and remember it is as important as putting on your own seat belt.
Todays question
What do you need to do to keep your dog safe if it is travelling on the back of an open vehicle?
- Tie it on
- Using a short rope so it cant possibly fall over the edge.