Car accidents involving pets injure over 100,000 animals annually in the United States. Most dog owners don’t realize that an unrestrained 60-pound dog becomes a 2,700-pound projectile during a 35 mph crash. We at DogingtonPost believe proper dog vehicle safety prevents these tragedies. The right equipment and preparation can save your dog’s life and protect your family during every car ride. Essential Car Safety Equipment for Dogs Crash-Tested Harnesses Beat Standard Restraints The Center for Pet Safety conducted a pilot study in 2011 to investigate the crashworthiness of pet travel harnesses. Most pet store harnesses fail completely during impacts and offer no protection whatsoever. The Sleepypod Clickit Sport and Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart harnesses consistently rank highest in independent safety tests, as they withstand forces equivalent to 30 mph crashes. Standard dog seat belts attach to your car’s existing belt system but provide minimal crash protection. True safety harnesses distribute impact forces across your dog’s chest and shoulders, which prevents neck injuries that kill thousands of pets annually. These harnesses cost between $80 and $150 but can prevent veterinary bills that exceed $10,000 for crash-related injuries. Travel Crates Offer Maximum Protection Hard-sided travel crates provide the strongest protection during vehicle accidents, according to data from the American Automobile Association. Metal and reinforced plastic crates must be properly secured with cargo straps or bungee cords to prevent them from becoming projectiles themselves. Soft-sided carriers work only for dogs under 25 pounds and offer limited crash protection. The ASPCA recommends that owners place crates in the cargo area of SUVs or secure them behind the rear seats in sedans. Wire crates collapse during impacts and should never be used for car travel (despite their popularity among dog owners). Barriers Block Access Without Crash Protection Car barriers and dividers prevent dogs from jumping into front seats but provide zero protection during accidents. These mesh or metal screens cost between $30 and $100 and work well for preventing driver distraction on short trips. However, they cannot replace proper restraint systems for highway travel or long-distance trips where crash risks increase significantly. The right equipment forms just one part of safe dog transport. Proper car setup and positioning create the foundation that makes this safety equipment work effectively. Proper Car Setup and Positioning Best Seating Positions for Different Dog Sizes The back seat provides the safest location for dogs weighing under 80 pounds, with rear passenger seats offering inadequate front crash protection in most midsize SUVs according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data. Dogs should never ride in front seats where airbags deploy at 200 mph and can kill pets instantly. The cargo area works best for dogs over 80 pounds when properly secured with crash-tested crates, but only in SUVs and wagons with adequate crumple zones behind the rear axle. Temperature Control Prevents Fatal Heatstroke Car interiors can reach 100 degrees in just 10 minutes when outside temperatures are warm, causing heatstroke that kills over 700 dogs annually. Run air conditioning for 5 minutes before you load your dog and maintain interior temperatures below 75°F throughout the trip. Crack rear windows 2 inches for airflow but never allow full window access, as 15 mph winds can damage dog ears permanently. Dashboard thermometers (which cost $15) help you monitor cabin temperature accurately during travel. Secure All Loose Items to Prevent Injuries A smartphone that travels at 30 mph generates 30 times its weight in force during sudden stops, which turns everyday items into dangerous weapons. Remove all loose objects from passenger areas including water bottles, toys, and electronic devices that can strike your dog during emergency braking. Secure cargo nets behind rear seats to contain items in trunk areas, and use door pocket organizers for essential supplies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that loose objects cause 13,000 injuries annually in vehicle accidents (with pets suffering disproportionate harm due to their positioning and inability to brace for impact). These setup steps create a safe environment, but proper preparation before you start your trip makes the difference between a smooth ride and a dangerous situation. Pre-Trip Preparation and Safety Checks Feed Your Dog Four Hours Before Departure Dogs need empty stomachs during car travel to prevent motion sickness and dangerous choking incidents. Veterinary experts recommend that owners withhold food for up to 8 hours before travel if it is not too stressful for the dog. This timing allows complete digestion while it prevents the nausea that affects dogs during vehicle travel. Water should remain available until 30 minutes before departure, but owners must remove all food bowls completely. Motion sickness medications like Dramamine work better on empty stomachs and take effect within 60 minutes when veterinarians administer them properly. Exercise Your Dog Vigorously Before You Load Them A tired dog stays calmer during car travel, as research shows the dog-owner relationship has an interplay with the dog’s daily and weekly physical activity levels. Take your dog on a 20-minute vigorous walk or play session before every trip to burn excess energy that otherwise manifests as destructive behavior in vehicles. Schedule bathroom breaks immediately before you load your dog into the car, as nervous dogs often need additional elimination opportunities. Pack waste bags, paper towels, and enzymatic cleaners for accidents because even house-trained dogs experience stress-related incidents during car travel. Emergency veterinary clinics report that travel-related injuries occur when anxious dogs attempt to escape from moving vehicles. Pack Medical Records and Emergency Contacts Carry current vaccination records, medication lists, and your veterinarian’s contact information in a waterproof folder that stays accessible throughout your trip. Include a recent photograph of your dog and microchip registration details, as dogs can become separated from owners during travel emergencies. Pack a three-day supply of any prescription medications your dog requires, plus basic first aid supplies that include gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, and digital thermometer. Before departure, perform a quick health check on your dog and program the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic into your phone, because GPS systems fail when you need them most during actual emergencies. Final Thoughts Dog vehicle safety demands commitment to proper equipment, smart placement, and thorough preparation. Crash-tested harnesses and secured crates prevent the 100,000 annual pet injuries that occur during vehicle accidents. Back seat placement protects dogs from deadly airbag deployment, while temperature control prevents fatal heatstroke in vehicles that reach dangerous temperatures within minutes. Consistent safety practices save lives and protect your family. Pre-trip food schedules, vigorous exercise, and emergency supply preparation transform potentially dangerous journeys into safe travel experiences. These measures work only when you apply them systematically for every car ride (regardless of distance or duration). Your dog depends on your decisions for protection during every trip. Quality safety equipment, consistent preparation routines, and proper placement requirements cannot be compromised. For more expert advice on keeping your dog safe, visit DogingtonPost for comprehensive resources on canine care and safety.

I Spy With My Bond Villainess Eye: Cruella von der Leyen Wants Her Own Intel Agency

Ken Burns appeared Sunday to discuss his new documentary series on The American Revolution on the "How to Fix It" podcast from the Trump-hating outlet The Bulwark, hosted by former CNN pundit and losing Democrat congressional candidate John Avlon. As usual, Burns is gently nudged to issue long answers, like he's a genius that everyone must enjoy. He did the usual mockery of patriotic thoughts about the revolution as "fife-and-drum treacle."  But on social media, conservatives shared Burns bemoaning the defunding of PBS and NPR.  “It’s a big deal, they killed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, incredibly shortsighted. It'll hurt mostly rural communities, maybe that's their intention. There'll be news deserts. Nobody will be covering the school board or the city council meetings." This is the same lame argument all the PBS/NPR bureaucrats used, because they know everyone associates these channels and their snobbish liberal news with the Manhattan brie-and-chablis set. So they have to pretend that small towns and rural areas don't have any local newspapers or radio stations who cover the local meetings. As a college kid, I sat through more than a few county board, school board, and city council meetings as a news guy for a private radio station. No NPR person came.  Ken Burns lives in an old farm house in the small town of Walpole, New Hampshire. We can only hope the local folks mock him at the grocery store about this -- if he doesn't send "the help" to buy his wine and cheese.  The idea that rural folks get all their news from PBS and NPR was highly amusing. I retweeted a pile of retorts, like these.  Bonchie: Rural communities have the internet. This soft bigotry of assuming they all live in huts in the woods with rabbit ears as their only access to media is stupid. https://t.co/cEIoCNSuK8 — Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) November 10, 2025 Amy Curtis:  It’s adorable how all the people who sneer at rural communities 364 days a year suddenly pretend to care so they can use them as political fodder for NPR. https://t.co/FCJRpJS5NU — Amy Curtis (@RantyAmyCurtis) November 10, 2025 Michael Graham (no relation):  Yes, how will rural ppl get the latest news from Downton Abbey and the prices at the Antiques Road Show without a taxpayer-funded TV signal? https://t.co/5O2G0u0xAq — ConservativeNotCrazy (@IAMMGraham) November 10, 2025 Mark Hemingway:  It’s 2025. No one in rural communities depends on PBS or NPR. This is absurd. https://t.co/U01wXqLXXj — Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) November 10, 2025 David Burge: I grew up in a small rural community, and I distinctly remember back in '73 how shocked all the grownups were to turn on PBS and learn about World War II for the first time https://t.co/j2jg6Rr0sS — David Burge (@iowahawkblog) November 10, 2025 And finally, Caleb Howe:  Ken Burns should do a 30 hour documentary on how Ken Burns doesn't get rural America. https://t.co/R6m0f7vlIl — Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) November 10, 2025

FBI Director Kash Patel traveled to Beijing last week to finalize a deal with China to end the fentanyl production pipeline.'The Chinese government agreed on a plan to stop fentanyl precursors.'Patel joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday in the briefing room to share the results of that visit.Patel credited the accomplishment to Trump’s “historic engagement with [Chinese] President Xi,” referring to the leaders' meeting in October.Patel reported that the FBI has seized 1,900 kilograms of fentanyl — enough to kill 127 million — so far this year, noting that it was a 31% increase compared to the same time frame last year. “Fentanyl precursors are what makes up fentanyl. While we, the inner agency, the Department of Justice, have been fighting hard to seize and stop drug traffickers, we must attack fentanyl precursors — the ingredients necessary to make this lethal drug,” Patel stated.RELATED: Trump reveals what's at stake if Supreme Court rules against his tariffs: 'Devastating' Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty ImagesHe noted that he is the first FBI director to travel to China in over a decade. “The Chinese government agreed on a plan to stop fentanyl precursors,” Patel said. “The People’s Republic of China has fully designated and listed all 13 precursors utilized to make fentanyl. Furthermore, they have agreed to control seven chemical subsidiaries that are also utilized to produce this lethal drug.”“Effective immediately, essentially, President Trump has shut off the pipeline that creates fentanyl,” he continued. “This historic achievement has saved tens of thousands of lives.”RELATED: Trump scores win for American farmers as China commits to ‘massive’ soybean purchases Photo by DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty ImagesChina’s Commerce Ministry announced early this week that it would adjust requirements for some precursor chemicals, requiring a license to export them to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.Most fentanyl that enters the U.S. is from Mexico, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The office reported in September that fentanyl continues to be the leading cause of overdose deaths in the country. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's presidential hopes hit another stumbling block after his former chief of staff was arrested for alleged political corruption Wednesday.Dana Williamson, 53, was indicted by a federal grand jury for nearly two dozen counts, and she was arrested, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in California.A statement from a spokesperson for Newsom suggested that President Donald Trump was abusing the legal process to punish his political opponents.Prosecutors allege that Williamson illegally funneled approximately $225,000 from a dormant political campaign to various business entities for an associate's personal use between Feb. 2022 and Sept. 2024.Williamson allegedly "conspired with a business associate to create false, backdated contracts" after she was subpoenaed over Paycheck Protection Program loans to her business.She also is accused of illegally reporting personal expenditures as business deductions on falsified tax forms. The more than $1 million in expenditures included "private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags," according to the release.A statement from a spokesperson for Newsom suggested that President Donald Trump was abusing the legal process to punish his political opponents."Ms. Williamson no longer serves in this administration. While we are still learning details of the allegations, the governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity," read the statement. "At a time when the president is openly calling for his attorney general to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of one's peers."However, the press release indicated that the investigation began under the Biden administration, undermining Newsom's suggestion.RELATED: Gavin Newsom lashes out at Joe Rogan for accusing him of ruining California: ‘He did horrible s**t!’ "This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago," said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. "As it always has, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of California from political corruption."If convicted, Williamson faces decades in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie's highly anticipated discharge petition to release the Epstein files received its final signatory on Wednesday, allowing lawmakers to force a vote in the House. Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona became the 218th signatory on the Epstein discharge petition just moments after being sworn into office on Wednesday. Grijalva joined the 213 Democrats who unanimously supported the discharge petition while just four Republicans — Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Massie — signed on. 'Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.'With 218 signatures, lawmakers will be able to force a House vote on releasing the Epstein files. Just hours before Grijalva's swearing in, the White House confirmed that members of President Donald Trump's administration met with Boebert in the Situation Room to address the discharge petition. RELATED: 'Hoax': Republicans slam Democrats for sharing altered Epstein documents to 'create a fake narrative' around Trump Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images This meeting included a phone call from Trump as well as a face-to-face with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel. Despite the apparent pressure campaign, Boebert did not rescind her support for the discharge petition. Despite the bipartisan uproar over the administration's handling of the Epstein files, Trump maintains that the scandal is a Democrat "hoax" to distract from their disastrous shutdown. "The Democrats are trying to bring up the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax again because they’ll do anything at all to deflect on how badly they’ve done on the Shutdown, and so many other subjects," Trump said in a Truth Social Post. "Only a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap. The Democrats cost our Country $1.5 Trillion Dollars with their recent antics of viciously closing our Country, while at the same time putting many at risk — and they should pay a fair price." RELATED: Supreme Court rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's appeal on first day of session Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images"There should be no deflections to Epstein or anything else, and any Republicans involved should be focused only on opening up our Country, and fixing the massive damage caused by the Democrats!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

ESPN is in trouble, and BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock isn’t surprised — especially considering that one of its “stars,” Stephen A. Smith, has been pushing woke nonsense on listeners since the tiresome events of 2020.In one clip that Whitlock plays from 2022, Smith addresses an incident involving a Duke volleyball player, Rachel Richardson, who claimed that she heard racial slurs in a game against BYU.“I’m saying, BYU, you did it by allowing this to happen and not addressing it expeditiously, not addressing it with the level of quickness and speed that you should have addressed it with. So now, instead of looking at that fool, that racist bastard that was spewing that nonsense towards Miss Rachel Richardson,” Smith yelled on ESPN’s “First Take.”“This is why I have fatigue,” Whitlock comments, annoyed. “And y’all remember this. This is about some BYU student that allegedly called some black girl the N-word or something at a volleyball game. It made no sense. There was no proof of it.”“And Stephen A. Smith’s on TV yelling and screaming and wagging a finger at some white kid that he doesn’t know who he is. There’s no proof that it happened. There never was any proof that it happened. He made a fool of himself and ESPN, and they allowed it to happen. This is supposed to be some media corporation that should have some understanding of the basic tenets of journalism. And they’ve platformed Stephen A. Smith as if he’s the face of sports journalism,” he adds.But Smith’s BYU outburst is far from the worst of it.“The virus has been especially brutal to my community, with data showing black Americans being far more likely to get infected, get hospitalized, and, yes, even die from COVID-19. And now the data shows black Americans are not getting the vaccine, at least not at the same rate as other communities,” Smith preached on ESPN.“Just in Philadelphia, where Rite Aid pharmacies are distributing the vaccine, 87% of vaccinations so far have gone to white folks, reportedly,” he added.“‘You gotta take this poison, y’all,’” Whitlock mocks. “‘Black people, my community. Now, yes, I lived in a gated community filled with white people, but when I say my community, I’m talking about you black people.’”“‘You got to take this experimental vaccine and kill yourself. … My IQ is probably in the low 80s, but I’m a doctor and can tell you what vaccines you should take,’” he continues.“This is insanity,” Whitlock says, adding, “And you wonder why people have fatigue.”Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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