To travel or not to travel with your pet

To travel… or… not to travel with my pet… that is the question we must consider!

 

I once worked with a young man whose name was Billy.  Now Billy was a very avid coon hunter.  Every chance he got to go ”coning” away he would go with his coon dog named… Ham Bone!  Now, if you got Billy talking about going hunting  coons , you were in for a FULL eight hours of constant chatter on the subject of coon hunting!!   Don’t get me wrong… Billy was a really good friend… his only flaw was COON talking all the time!!   Once when we were talking… I found out Bill was married and had kids too.   I jokingly asked him if his wife and kids were covered with black rings and washed their food before eating!   Billy caught me off guard when he replied… nope, they are all normal… except they howl at the moon a lot!   The reason for this story is to show you just how much this Coon-hound meant to Billy.  

Old Ham Bone went everywhere Billy went.  Billy would pick up his shot gun and old Ham Bone would be waiting at the old Ford pick-up…ready to go!   I was off work for 7 days and when I came back, Billy wasn’t there!   No one knew what was wrong!   I called his home and was told Billy and old Ham Bone had been in a bad wreck… Billy was banged up a lot, but would be alright after a few weeks rest!   THEN THE BOMB SHELL… Old Ham Bone was killed… His neck was broken in the accident!   When Billy came back… I was assigned to work along side of him and sort of keep an eye on him!   Gradually the facts of Old Ham Bone’s death came out.   Billy and Ham Bone was headed for Billy’s favorite hunting spot, when all of a sudden a  farmer swung his big combine into Billy’s path…   It was too late to do anything but hit it at 50 mph! Bill told me old Ham Bone hit the windshield at a full head-on blow… Billy said he knew old Ham Bone was dead!   Then WE BOTH CRIED for a while and went about our work quietly!   On dinner break, Billy went outside to his car… choosing to be alone for a while.   I then told the crew what had happened to Billy’s pet… Ham Bone!    Every one had a story about loosing a pet or knew someone who lost a pet in a wreck.   Pretty soon a plan was hatched… we would get Billy a new Ham Bone!   I cleared it with his wife and gave the go ahead to the team… operation… Ham bone was a GO!

Three weeks later two team members, Tom and Jerry Lee, brought a large box into work. Inside was the most beautiful, long- floppy- eared coon-hound puppy dog I’d ever laid eyes on!   With the help of our foreman the puppy was hidden until dinner break time.   Dinner time came and we all went into the break room to eat… as we entered and sat down at the long picnic table… someone noticed this big box in the corner…They went over and told everyone his box was for someone called …Daddy Coon Dog!   Yup that’s what it said because Billy’s wife called him that when…???…  Well , let me just say It was Billy’s nick name!   Poor Old Billy was shocked to hear this “SPECIAL NAME” called out in front of every one… especially his co-workers!!   Billy often told us about coon’s being “curious critters” and if you’d wait awhile, the raccoon would come out to if it was all clear, then you had him.   I guess this trait rubbed off on Billy, because before long, Billy got up, went over to the box, looked at the shipping label… reached down and opened just one box flap… Man-oh-Man that puppy flew out of that box and landed right in Billy’s arms… It’s tail was wagging so fast we thought it was going to fly around the room!   It’s tongue was going even faster, and in between licks, it’s puppy whines turned into high pitched yikes!!   Billy turned to all of us… and with teary-eyes and a broken voice said thank you!  

Of course none of us GROWN MEN had teary eyes either… all that moisture came from the water tanks we worked in.   As we sat there watching this Grown man playing on the dirty floor, in came an unexpected visit from our foreman!   And in his hands was a home made back-seat dog cage which had tie down straps to keep the dog safe when ever Billy took his new “cooner pup”on a road trip.

This story happened many, many years ago, but its lesson is still vital for us today.   Most of us are guilty at some time or another of just letting our pets loose inside our cars as we drive along. Some of us even let our pet stick its head out a window or lay its head in our lap. WHAT WE FAIL TO SEE is the danger of these practices!   Consider this… You apply the brakes hard because someone has cut you off… or something jumps in front of your car and you instinctively lock your car’s brakes!   If you are traveling at any speed this means EVERYTHING was going at that same speed when you applied the brakes! Everyone or thing constrained by seat belts or tie downs will stop when the car stops…However, any thing that isn’t fastened or tied down, will continue on at the PRE-BRAKING SPEED until it is stopped by something or SOMEONE!   Please don’t learn the lesson of Billy and Ham Bone the HARD WAY. Whenever you travel by truck or car and take your pet with you, be sure your pet is safe too!   Buy a seat belt harness or car carrier which allows you to fasten it to the car’s seat belt system.   Remember a pet is part of the family too, so buckle up ALL FAMILY MEMBERS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE… If you need a harness, leash or safety belt for your dog,  please feel free to check out Doggy Dog Coats!  P.S. If you are wondering what Billy named his new coon dog… HE CALLED HIM CORN BREAD!

Thanks from all of us at Doggie Dog Coats.