The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is joining forces with other agencies in an effort to remind pet owners to buckle up their pets.
On Wednesday, the department and pet safety advocate Bark Buckle Up will team up with the California Highway Patrol, Orange County Fire Authority, Anaheim Police Department and OC Animal Care to host a press conference regarding the growing safety concerns of having unrestrained pets in the car while driving. Bark Buckle UP pet safety program is traveling nationally to teach and promote pet safety while traveling with pets.
The need is evident. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, 98 percent of dogs travel unrestrained in vehicles with their owners. Losing a family pet in an accident is devastating, but the risks to vehicle riders and first responders called to help in the event of an accident can be significant.
“Any time lost in the caring of accident victims because of the need to deal with a frightened or injured animal can and should be avoided,” said Sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino.
The Sheriff’s Department is taking a lead role by urging pet owners to safely secure their animals at all times. Bark Buckle Up will use live dogs of all sizes to demonstrate how to secure pets with available safety products, capable of safeguarding animals, owners and first responders. The 10 a.m. Nov. 12 event is at the OCSD Training Facility, 1900 W. Katella Ave. in Orange.
For more information about the press conference, contact OCSD Media Relations at 714-647-7042. Information about ways to secure pets and more is available at www.barkbuckleup.com.
