Not every travel nurse in this country travels alone. And not every travel nurse travel with a spouse, family or significant other. Some travel nurses go from assignment to assignment with their four-legged companions.

With an estimated 163 million domestic cats and dogs in the U.S. a lot of emotion rise to the surface when travel nurses have to leave their beloved pets with a family member or friend. So we take our pets with us. More and more, pets are becoming an integral part of the family unit and for travel nurses, this is also the case.

And with the amount of driving a travel nurse can do over the course of a year, how we keep pets, and ourselves, safe in the car is becoming a very important issue. When we secure pets in our car, it’s not just for their safety. It’s for the our safety, the safety of other passengers and the safety of first responders who might have to get you out of your car in an emergency.

Also, an unbuckled pet could become a deadly projectile if you make a sudden stop or have a collision resulting in injured pets and passengers.

So what are some ways to keep you and your pet safe as you travel from assignment to assignment?

For cats and smaller dogs, a pet carrier or even a small crate works best. Carrying your chihuahua in your purse - not a god plan unless your dog can dial your cell phone for help. Carriers help keep your pets safe and give them a sense of security. Some suggest that you buy a new crate specifically for traveling in case your pet associates their current crate with a trip the V-E-T. If your pet will need to visit a vet during your assignment, just stick with the crate you have.

Other than carriers, you can buy special harnesses, pet car seats and even vehicle barrier for station wagons/SUV type vehicles.

If you need more info about how to travel with pets to and from your travel nurse assignments, visit www.barkbuckleup.com.