Pearl and I are known for taking little car trips together. The day we brought her home from the breeder we had a crate ready and set up for her, but we just didn’t have the heart to put her tiny 1 pound self into a crate for a 3 hour drive. She sat on a blankie that was on my lap, and for the longest time, as long as Mathew was driving, she rode on my lap. As time went on, I took Pearl on trips with me down to Corpus Christi when I would spend time with my family, and would put her in her crate for the trip. This didn’t last very long because Pearl would bark SO loud that it would hurt my ears. Knowing it was a bad idea and how I shouldn’t be driving with a dog in my lap, I put Pearl on my lap as I drove.

A Dog Owner PSA: Driving with a Dog in Your Lap
Pearl in my lap, on the day we brought her home

We’ve been doing it ever since.

If you hadn’t heard on my personal Facebook page or Twitter yesterday, Pearl and I were in an awful car accident on Saturday morning. Luckily, no one else was involved but the two of us (long story but I ran into a pole), and we are both o.k., but we are pretty bruised and beaten. Pearl was sitting on my lap when it happened, and the air bags went off on us. I remember seeing Pearl had fallen down next to me in between the driver door and seat. I believe that it had saved her life even though when we crashed, we had not been going more than 30 mph. I quickly got her out and opened the car door, screaming for help. I noticed Pearl had brown stuff on her fur, and it was coming off in little patches. Sadly, Pearl got burns from air bags (I had no idea this even could happen) and had to get part of an ear, neck, and side shaved due to her fur being burnt. Her ear is red where it has been shaved and I cried all day Saturday knowing that Pearl could have died and that I hurt her.

Pearl just 20 minutes before our accident
Pearl is like my child. We got her just TWO months after we got married, and she is a HUGE part of my life. When we got her- I missed work just so I could stay home with her to get her acquainted with the house. I would buy her tons of toys, and I would cry any time I had to leave her for several hours at a time. She’s my baby. Knowing that I hurt my baby…that it was MY fault…it hurt. Scenarios have been running through my mind- what if she’d lost her hearing? What if her fur doesn’t grow back? What if she had broken bones? What if my glass had shattered and gotten all over her? What if I had killed her? It was all too much to handle.

That’s when I promised myself- I will NEVER EVER allow Pearl to ride in the front seat with me again.

Just as it is dangerous for babies to be in the front seat, it’s dangerous for dogs too. The air bag burns could have been more severe. I’m so thankful she was wearing a Halloween costume that protected the majority of her skin. I mean, she’s only FIVE pounds. They don’t even let kids in the front seat that small! What was I thinking!?

So now I’m researching options for dog travel since she hates her crate. Dog car seats seem like a great idea and I’ll be able to put her in the middle to see her.

Snoozer Black Pet Car Seat Lookouts
Snoozer Black Pet Car Seat Lookouts

I think this Snoozer Black Pet Car Seat Lookout is a great idea since Pearl doesn’t want to be in a crate. It’s got 4.8 out of 5 stars on Petco.com from consumers, it has lots of cushion, it sits all the way down on the seat (the ones that hang don’t seem like they would be good), and they buckle in. The cover is also washable, which is great if I took her somewhere where she could get dirty. There’s a similar car seat for the console, however, knowing that air bags can hit the center console, I would not consider that one. It is about $65 for a dog up to 18 pounds, but to me, it’s an investment.

Here’s the thing:

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a dog crate, a car seat, or a dog seat belt as long as your dog (and Pearl) are in the back seat, in something safe, and sturdy. PLEASE put your dog in the back seat. Please make sure you have something safe to put your dog in. If you love your dog, please do not drive with your dog in the front seat, on your lap, or even on someone else’s lap in the back seat. It is NOT safe. I’ll say it again… Driving with a dog in your lap is NOT safe. If you can also avoid it, please do not put your dog in a crate in the bed of your truck, or even tied up in the bed of your truck. You could brake quickly and your dog could fly out, or you could roll your truck and the crate could fall out, hurting your dog. Over 100,000 dogs die from falls from pick up trucks annually. Please keep your dog inside your car if you can.

You are responsible for YOUR pet. Treat your pet the way you want your child to be treated. They are family and they look to you for food, love, shelter, and safety. Please do what is right and learn from my mistake. Please travel safely with your pet. No more driving with a dog in your lap! Trust me, I won’t be.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and/or product(s) sent from companies or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please view my disclosure policy.