Pet safety in Vancouver.

Here in Vancouver we experience the setting sun as any Canadian would do....earlier with each passing day but we have a much more temperate climate that allows for much of the foliage to hang around.
This makes for some dark streets especially in our wonderfully treed neighborhoods. Some places in the west end are spectacularily shrouded by large maples and a blackening sky as early as before breakfast and at dinner time.....the most frequent times to walk the dog.
Safety for both the pet owner and usually dog (as most cat owners do not walk their cats) is really important this time of year.
It always surprises me when those people with strollers will push them out onto a roadway in a crosswalk as a "test of the waters" to see if people will stop or not. Similar to that, I always find dog owners who have those "extendo" leashes (which are not bad per se and have their benefits)
allow their pets to roam across other peoples paths on sidewalks...onto the roadway and have almost no control of their dogs until they snap them back when they finally realize fido is running toward the wheels of a truck. "yoink!!!!" painful and not fair to the dog.

The most important things to remember when it comes to safety are as follows:

1. Always have your pet in control. A "hard" leash which is just a regular leash attached well to a collar that will not slip off is your main tool to walking a dog.
2.Be VISIBLE...no can see your dog or you if you are dressed in your fashionable all black work clothes. Most cars have blind spots and people themselves are hard to see not to mention a dark coated dog. Light coloured clothing, reflective collars, blinker lights (my favourite) all make for a visible pet and can be fun and fashionable too!
3.Auto drivers cannot and will not stop if they do not see your pet. Do not assume there is anything visible about your dog. Most drivers cannot see anything close to their vehicle that is less than two feet high which is most four footed friends. This is where extendo leads are dangerous...if a car sees you he may not see
4. Nobody...NOBODY has "the right of way"...there is no such thing and one can debate the semantics of it but everything we do in regards to traffic and movement is a priveledge and even though someone might think they have a "right" a 4000lb vehicle has the inertia and physics that outweigh "rights". You can debate this later when your dog is dead and you were in "the right".
5.Clothing safety for your pet...this can work two ways for and against. Protective clothes on wet and cold days can be great and help if they are reflective. They can hinder if they are dark and block the pet's view of oncoming traffic.
6.Watch for excessive salt useage on snowy pathways...this can get on the paws and irritate which causes a chewing on the paws response....simple rinse paws after the walks for half a minute.
............ok so there a few more tips but more to the topic of darkening and wintery days are the previous ones.
Any questions?? please stop by the caboose here on Granville Island at woofles and Meowz.
Happy walking and be safe this autumn and winter.
WOOF!!!