Partners In Paws and Safety

September is Ontario Provincial Police Pet Safety Awareness Month:

One of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) commitments to traffic safety is to reduce distracted driving through both enforcement and proactive education. Drivers can be distracted by many factors, including eating or drinking, talking with passengers, using a mobile device, or allowing an unrestrained pet to move freely throughout a vehicle. Properly restraining pets while travelling reduces this distraction and makes roads safer. Using a pet tether helps reduce driver distraction, lowers the risk of a collision, and creates a safer experience for both the driver and the pet. Properly restraining a pet also reduces the risk of the animal becoming a projectile during a collision, helping to protect both the pet and vehicle occupants from serious injury.

 After years of grassroots initiatives- educational materials (public safety postcards and a highly entertaining educational video) -working with pet retailers and community organizations- the primary focus remains the same... to reduce driver distraction. By raising awareness that unrestrained animals can become projectiles- causing injury to themselves and passengers alike- the Ontario Provencial Police (OPP) demonstrates practical ways to reduce these risks. After all, most of us consider our pets to be a part of the family. By taking a few seconds to secure them before travelling, by using a simple pet tether, we can help keep our pets safe while making Ontario roads safer for everyone, whether they travel on two feet or four.

Please join the Ontario Provincial Police- Peel Regional Police- Peel Crime Stoppers-Mississauga Fire Emergency Services-Peel Regional Paramedic Services- Mississauga Animal Services and the Mississauga Humane Society at Rens Pets Heartland at 5985 Rodeo Drive in Mississauga on Saturday September 19 from 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM- for a variety of Pet Safety and Accident Prevention presentations and activities .