World Animal Road Accident Awareness Day is October 10. While this may not be the most pleasant topic, it is a very important one. This awareness day was created in memory of the animals who are gone because of accidents, but also to hopefully increase preventative measures, with the aim of decreasing future accidents. A London, ON vet offers some information on this topic below.

Statistics

Did you know that Ontario has more accidents than any other province? The animal that is involved in the most car accidents is the deer. However, many other animals, including squirrels, birds, cats, dogs, rabbits, racoons, skunks, turtles, and coyotes, are also represented.

Having An Accident

What do you do if you hit an animal? Laws regarding what you are required to report vary from place to place. However, if you think it was someone’s pet, the kind thing to do is try to find the owner. First, try looking for a tag. If you feel safe, you can also try knocking on doors. One study showed that, most of the time, the pet’s owner would be found at one of the first three houses you try.

Getting Care

If the animal is alive, then it’s really your responsibility to try to get it care that could save its life or at least relieve its pain. Your best bet is to contact an emergency clinic or veterinarian. Consider keeping a pet first-aid kit and some brochures in your car, just in case. This can be helpful if you need to stabilize an animal for transport.

Protecting Your Pets

You’ll also need to take steps to protect your own furry friend. We can’t overstate how important it is to make sure your pet is microchipped and wearing ID tags. We also recommend keeping dogs on leashes whenever they’re in unfenced areas. Proper training is also important. As for kitties, they’re always better off staying inside, where they are also protected from weather and wild animals.

Driving

Always be vigilant when you’re behind the wheel of a car. When scanning ahead of you, check the sides of the road for animals that may be crossing. Use extra care in wooded areas and at dusk and dawn, when many animals are most active.

Do you have questions about your pet’s health or care? Contact us, your London, ON animal clinic, today!