While Debbie F. of Pennsylvania and her husband were traveling with their
Border Collies in 2009, a tractor-trailer forced their SUV off the road. Her husband’s quick reactions avoided an abutment but ran them into the trailer, injuring Debbie and ultimately rolling the truck onto its roof. All dogs ended up outside along the busy highway.
You might assume dogs involved in a car accident would rush to their owner, but as Franco discovered, the impact, peculiar smells and unfamiliar people gathering round can cause dogs to panic. Panicky dogs often run away or hide nearby, illustrating the importance of a crate or car harness to keep your dog inside the vehicle. Even then you must carefully remove the dog as she may leap into traffic, run off or possibly snap at helping hands out of fear or pain.
Your traveling dog should also wear tags and bear permanent identification like a microchip. Store an extra leash and quick-fitting muzzle in your glove compartment along with information on friends who could help with your dog if needed. Debbie says friends proved invaluable in recovering their hiding dogs within seven hours — scared but relatively unhurt.