National Pet Travel Safety Day Date in the current year: January 2, 2024

Even if you don’t have a habit of vacationing with your pet or taking your furry companion with you wherever you go, you can still find yourself in a situation where you need to take your pet somewhere in your car, for example, to a vet’s office or to a friend’s place for a couple of days while you’ll be away on business. Whether it’s a short ride across town or a road trip, you need to make sure that your beloved pet is safe and secure.

An animal can’t be secured in a vehicle with a seatbelt like a human would, so it is important to keep them safe in other ways. For example, when you’re traveling with a cat or a small or medium-sized dog, you should put your pet in a crash-tested pet crate and then buckle it in. If your dog is too large to be kept in a crate, use a special harness to keep your pup safe. Never put pets on the front seat because the release of the airbag in case of an accident can injure them. In addition, a pet in the front seat can distract the driver from the road.

If you’re planning to travel with your pet, simply buying a crate or a safety harness isn’t enough. Traveling can make your pet nervous, especially if they’re not accustomed to it, so it is important to ensure that your cat or dog is as comfortable as possible. Before a long car trip, take your pet on a few mini trips to let them get used to the car and crate; a long car ride without any preparations at all will inevitably stress them out.

For a long trip, make sure you have everything you might need. This list isn’t limited to the crate or harness; you’ll also need enough water and a travel bowl, any medication your pet might need, a warm blanket and a couple of your pet’s favorite toys, some treats, etc. If your pet can last without food for the duration of the trip, it’s better not to feed them because eating in a moving vehicle is a choking hazard and might cause motion sickness. However, you still need to have some food with you in case you get stuck in traffic.

National Pet Travel Safety Day is one of the many pet-related holidays and awareness days created by Colleen Paige, one of the leading pet and family lifestyle experts in the United States. She established it to remind about the importance of securing your pet in your vehicle to keep them safe in case of an accident. The holiday is celebrated in January because it is the time of the year when the roads can be slippery, so making sure that your pet is safe is especially important.

The best way to observe National Pet Travel Safety Day is to educate yourself about pet travel safety rules and restrictions, and encourage fellow pet owners to do the same. You can also buy a new safety harness, carrier or comfort item like a toy or a blanket for your pet, get travel recommendations from your vet, and spread the word about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #NationalPetTravelSafetyDay.