BC SPCA, RCMP and ICBC launch pet safety campaign

September 11, 2006. For immediate release.

Every year countless animals are killed or injured in B.C. because they are not properly restrained while traveling in vehicles. "The problem is particularly dangerous when guardians let their dogs ride unrestrained in the back of a pick-up truck," said Lorie Chortyk, General Manager of Community Relations for the BC SPCA. "Tragically, BC SPCA animal protection officers and local veterinarians receive many emergency calls every year to help badly injured dogs thrown from the back of a pick-up or strangled to death when they fell over the side of a truck. It is a heartbreaking situation because these deaths are completely preventable if proper precautions are taken to secure their pet in their vehicle."

To address this issue, the RCMP, ICBC and the BC SPCA launched a joint awareness campaign today to educate pet guardians on safe and responsible ways to transport their animals. The project is being piloted in Prince George and will be implemented in other communities across B.C. in upcoming months. The campaign includes television and radio ads, public service announcements and an informational flyer that will distributed through the RCMP, community policing offices, ICBC, the BC SPCA and other community outlets, such as truck dealerships, veterinary offices, and pet supply stores.

• Click here for the campaign web page with links to the TV and radio ads

"We're excited to be teaming up with the BC SPCA and the RCMP on this new initiative," says David Dickson, ICBC Regional Manager of Loss Prevention, North Central Region. "Driving with an unrestrained pet is both distracting and dangerous and puts drivers and their passengers at an increased risk for collision." He notes that in the event of a collision, unrestrained pets can become dangerous projectiles, potentially causing serious injury to themselves and others. In fact, a 50-pound pet, when traveling in a vehicle at 50 km/h, has the weight of approximately one ton if a crash occurs.

RCMP Sergeant Guy Tremblay says he and his colleagues in the RCMP Prince George Traffic Services will be watching for unsecured pets in vehicles as the campaign unfolds. "Many people are unaware that under Section 72 of the Motor Vehicle Act it is illegal to transport an unsecured pet in the back of a truck," he says. If an unrestrained pet is injured or killed in an accident, individuals may also face charges of animal cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The campaign will urge pet guardians to take the following steps when transporting their animals:

• Keep your pet inside the vehicle. Use a secured crate or dog seatbelt to restrain your pet;
• If you must transport your pet in the back of a truck, use a secured crate in the centre of the truck box; or
• Tether your dog with secure and short harness to ensure safety from strangulation and death.

For more information:

Kathi Travers, volunteer, BC SPCA, 250-613-0027;

Sgt. Guy Tremblay, RCMP Traffic Services, Prince George 250-561-3300 ext. 336;

Alyson Gourley-Cramer, Marketing and Communications, 250-561-5006;

Lorie Chortyk, General Manager, Community Relations, BC SPCA, 604-647-1316, 603-834-7179.

The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.