How to Keep the Family Dog Safe when Walks are in the Dark

As we "fall back" into standard time this month, the early dusk puts family dogs at increased risk of being hit by a car or a truck.

Sadly, more than one million dogs are killed on U.S. roads each year. One woman who experienced this loss first hand is on a mission to remind other pet parents to take extra precautions.

"I was a child when our family dog Lucy was hit and killed," said Jennifer Hill, President and CEO of Canine Company. "It was devastating to our entire family and it's important to me to help others avoid that kind of tragedy since most car-dog encounters can be prevented with a few simple safety measures."

She urges pet parents to:

• Always walk your dog on a leash. "Even the best-trained dog may chase something that suddenly appears in the road," Hill says. "It only takes an instant – and, before you know what's happened -- your dog could be in the path of an oncoming car."
• Use a leash light for night walks. "All dogs -- even light-coated ones -- are invisible at night, so if you must walk in the street, use an LED necklace or a leash with an LED light. And always remember to walk facing traffic."
• Don't leave your dog unattended in the yard. "Tie-ups and fences may seem secure, but we hear stories all the time of how a dog managed to slip his lead, jump over or dig under a fence in pursuit of a squirrel or other animal."
• Consider an underground pet containment system so your dog can't dash into oncoming traffic. "After we lost Lucy, my parents searched for a way to keep our other dogs safe. Regular fences didn't do the job. Then they discovered the Invisible Fence® brand pet containment system. It worked so well, they started our company to help other families keep their dogs safe."

Canine Company has been helping families keep their dogs and cats healthy, safe and happy for 35 years. For information, call 800-818-3647 or visit www.caninecompany.com.