As part of my pre-sit interview with a HO, I ask where the travel crate or pet restraint is should I have to take the pet to the vet, to a dog park or the beach, etc. The HOs with cats seem to have travel crates but it’s hit or miss with those who have dogs. In one instance, I had the HO’s car and she had a seat restraint installed in there. In another, it was a small- to medium-sized dog whose lead I wove through the seat belt in my backseat. He was sometimes on the seat and sometimes on the floor. The mesh travel crate I used to have for my own dogs bit the dust and I am hesitant to buy a pet barrier for my car because I don’t want it to damage the roof and side upholstery and they seem to be hard for one person to install. I may look into buying a collapsible mesh travel crate, size large, but they’re not cheap. I wonder how others handle this?
What a good question. I’m sitting a German smooth haired pointer atm and I know I could not get him in a Nissan Juke to take him to a vet. In the UK it’s been the law for about two years now that a dog MUST be restrained in a vehicle whilst travelling.
Such a good topic to raise @mars and it’s not just in the UK that restraining a dog in a car is required by law, this helpful guide outlines global laws …
We have large estate car with a wire barrier that we erect so the dog can’t get into the seating area. They can still see and hear us so don’t feel isolated. We also have a waterproof sheet like blanket to cover the floor. It sticks with Velcro. The best plan is to take whatever the dog sleeps in ( basket or cushions) and let them lie in that in the back. It smells and feels familiar so they don’t get stressed. One of our questions at pre sit talks is do the animals travel well in cars. Very important to us as we like to explore and always like to take them with us to pet friendly destinations