RUN, DON'T WALK AND GET YOUR DOODLE A CAR HARNESS RESTRAINT SYSTEM!!

[Kate C Pappas]

 Yindi and I who were in an accident on Saturday on one of the busiest freeways in the world, Interstate 10 in the Los Angeles area. I rear ended a car and while I wasn't traveling at a high speed due to traffic, in a blink of an eye, it happened.

Thank G-d I was driving a big Escalade but it was totaled. I hope the other people in the accident will be OK and I'm still having nightmares about it.

Yindi was wearing her Champion K9 harness that is connected to a tether fastened to "U" shaped tie downs that protrude slightly from the rear seats where the seat belts are.

Within minutes of the accident there were more CHP officers on the scene than I could count. There were fire dept people and some EMTs there instantly.

They wanted to take me to a hospital there and then but I wouldn't go because of Yindi. I had to wait for DH. They had shut down the whole east bound I-10 Fwy so DH managed to work his way over to the shoulder and 'badge' the police to continue down to get to me.

They had to pry my driver's door open to get me out.

A lady behind me, stopped and gave her statement saying only that she saw the crash.

I was sobbing hysterically and she grabbed me and hugged me. It was so sweet and I don't even know her name.

Poor little Yindi was standing up, still tethered, trembling like a leaf. I got out my Lavender essential oil from her grooming bag, and gave her a massage. She trembled until DH got there and carried her to his car.

One of the young CHP officers even hugged me and kept repeating "it was an accident".

My car was towed away and I'll have to go down to the tow yard in the next day or so and get my things out of it. I took anything of value.

We then went to Cedars Sinai where I was checked out and ultra sounded to make sure there was no internal bleeding.

I'll be calling my own doctor's office today although right now she is vacationing in Israel. Wish that's where I was right now.

I feel horrible physically as I slammed my already wrecked knees, my chest, shoulders and neck hurt and I must have hit my head when the airbag deflated.

So PLEASE, seat belt your precious fur babies like you do for yourselves and your human children.

The CHP looked at Yindi in surprise saying in all his years of handling accidents, he'd never seen a dog in a car restrainy. She said she would have gone through the windshield!

[Coco Chanel and Cheryl]

I am glad that you are both ok!! Coco wears a seatbelt also!! She loves it and sticks her head out to have me put it on. It is just as comforting for them as it is for us!!

[Kate C Pappas]

Aren't we lucky that our fur kids don't mind their harnesses!

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

OMG...so glad you and Yindi are ok. Izzy sits in the middle seat and Lucca lays in the back. I will now plan to get them fitted for the restraints.

A note is also a great idea.

[Kate C Pappas]

Oh yes, please do ASAP! You will feel so much better knowing you've done everything you can to ensure their safety.

[Kate C Pappas]

Good for you! And I'm going to do the note thing too...in the new car that is.

[Elizabeth & *Kosci*.]

So happy that you and Yindi are safe. Shaken but safe, thanks for your advice about the dog seatbelt.

[Kate C Pappas]

If it helps one other person, that's a good thing.

[Carol and Banjo]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with all of us and reminding each of us how important doggie restraints are.   I hate to say it, but now and then I don't restrain Banjo.   From now on I will be certain that he's  restrained!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!   I'm so glad no one was badly injured.   I hope all checks out well for you with your Doctor.

[Kate C Pappas]

So far so good but the soreness will get worse and then better. I'm about ready to go in the hot tub and then to bed. I rested all day and it made me crazy not to be able to get up and do things.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

OMD!  I am so glad that you and Yindi are OK.  We have car restraints for our guys too, but we are not religious about using them.  We will be now.

[Kate C Pappas]

That is good to hear. All it takes is one time and it happens in a flash. I am still fuzzy about what happened on Saturday.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Glad to hear that you and Yindi are fine, it does give me some pause for thought, I have bought two different restraints for Quincy but neither one of them fit well. I do have a hammock in the back seat that prevents him from being thrown off the seat in a sudden stop but I will have to revisit the restraint issue again. Like you, none of us plan on being in an accident but they don't call them accidents for no reason. I have thrown Quincy off the back seat in a sudden stop and only after reading a post by someone whose doodle suffered a broken hip from just that very thing did I get the hammock. He will not ride in the front seat and he never climbs around inside the car.