Life turned upside down one afternoon on Highway 154, the pass between Santa Barbara, California, and Santa Ynez. Diane Stevenett was traveling with her dog Jake. The car was crammed with art paint supplies, including a giant white paper roll, paint accessories, brushes, watercolors, music class equipment, and Jake “the Big” took up the entire second row of seats behind the driver, its usual place.

When they reached a traffic jam, their car was last in line when all of a sudden a lifted black pickup appeared trying to “shoot the gap.” The car in front of her rolled over and her car was exposed to the giant truck.

The collision was inevitable. Within seconds the car smashed, blood and glass on Diane and Jake as they threw it against the windshield. They both ended up thrown out of their car, onto the road. Jake and Diane survived this severe accident, but Jake’s internal injuries triggered his early death later. The heartbreak of the whole affair was, for Diane, a major struggle.

Jake and his health conditions forced Diane to think that she could have protected Jake from the accident if she had followed some safety measures … if not completely, to a much greater extent.

According to a major car service company, more than 80% of dog owners drive with their pets in the car. More than 84% of those who drive with their pet, do not keep them in the car. In 2013, 172,000 children were involved in car accidents with injuries and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that of those crashes with children that were injured, more than 80% had pets on board. It’s not just about the pet …

Diane Stevenett, co-author of the new internationally award-winning book, How to Save Your Pet From Disaster, was Jake ‘the Great’s mother years ago and recalls: “If I had known what I know today, I would have been more prepared and could possibly have declined. the possibility of Jake getting injured. My research to be better educated and prepared led me to write this guide. “

2 X Chicken Soup for the Soul NY Times bestselling author Raymond Aaron said after viewing Saving Your Pet From Disaster, the essential emergency preparedness guide for feathered friends and furry babies: “Yes. You are a pet owner, this “Must Read” because you know how pet care so strongly engages the chord in your heart. There is no other book, so comprehensive and authoritative, on the essential topic in the industry. of pets. I highly recommend it! “

You love your pet and there are things you can easily do and have the peace of mind of knowing that your beloved pet is safer and ready for his next trip. Be “pet ready.” Remember, your pet can become your “animal therapy” in an emergency, so think ahead and protect it as you would your child.

3 Tips for Traveling with Your Pet from How to Save Your Pet From Disaster

1. Consider using a microchip (page 16) – Unteashed pets can be thrown out of cars, making the situation much worse.

2. A harness around your pet’s chest to secure it to the seat will more evenly distribute stress or stress on the body during an accident, thus reducing the possibility of injury. If you only have the animal tied to your collar around your neck, the animal may be strangled or have its neck broken. (Page 20, 30)

3. Secure the pet to the seat clips. They are made to stay connected and buckled in the event of an accident. (Page 33)

Old pets need special care and protection. They are slower reaction times

they are more fragile and emotionally more unstable.

There are literally hundreds of other tips and suggestions that you may not have thought of for a wide variety of situations other than car accidents. Being prepared suggests that you brainstorm as many ideas as you can and start implementing the tips that seem most important to you.