Traveling With A Dog: Pet Hair, California Law And What Your Policy Covers

If you have a dog as a member of your family, chances are you frequently bring them with you when you hit the road. Unfortunately, the excitement of traveling with your pet can quickly fade when you notice their hair all over the place. 

As most pet owners know, removing pet hair from your car can be frustrating, especially if fur has found its way into nooks and crannies. Continue reading this article to learn tips on how to solve this problem.

Proper grooming

Prevention is always the key. If you keep up with your pet’s grooming, there will be less hair that can get into the seats and floors. This tip has the added benefit of keeping your house clean too.

Install seat covers

Seat covers are another effective way to reduce pet hair in your vehicle. Installing seat covers should keep pet hair off your car seats. Most covers are removable and washable, allowing you to clean them up without a problem easily.

Vacuum

Sometimes the most obvious solutions are also the most effective. A powerful vacuum cleaner is likely to be the most effective way to remove large amounts of pet hair from your vehicle, especially if you’re trying to reach into crevices and corners.

Rubber gloves

Rubber gloves are also an excellent tool for removing pet hair from your vehicle.

Pet hair should adhere to your gloved fingers, while the remaining hair should form large clumps, making removal or vacuuming easier. Just make sure to sweep your hands in the same direction each time.

Balloons

It may appear that using balloons to collect pet hair is an absurd idea, but it can be quite effective. Because of the power of static electricity, balloons are an excellent tool for removing pet hair from your car. Start rubbing them against the seat to see how they stick.

Wire brush

A wire brush is frequently used when grooming dogs and cats because it effectively removes any remaining traces of unwanted fur. Run the wire brush along with your vehicle’s upholstery, and you’ll see the difference.

Does your car insurance cover your dog?

This is the part most owners never ask until it matters. The starting point is that insurers treat a pet as property rather than as a passenger, so an injured animal is a property question and not a bodily injury one.

Pet injury coverage exists, but it is not standard. It is not part of the base coverages a personal auto policy is built from, and where it appears it is added by a carrier rather than assumed. A minority of carriers include a small amount of it within collision coverage, often at no extra premium, and where it is offered the limit is commonly modest. It pays veterinary bills, and sometimes a benefit if the animal does not survive.

Two conditions come first where it is available. The policy has to carry collision, and the pet has to have been in the vehicle.

Availability varies by carrier and by state. Carriers that offer it say so expressly and note that state availability differs. Whether it applies to a California policy is a question for your own carrier rather than something to assume from a national article. If it matters to you, ask before you need it.

It does not reach a pet struck outside the car. A dog hit while loose is not covered by this, and the limits are low enough that a serious injury will run past them. Whether your policy includes it, and at what amount, is on the declarations page rather than a matter of assumption.

If another driver is at fault. Because the pet is property, their property damage liability is what responds to the veterinary bill, in the same way it would for damage to the car itself.

What California law says about carrying animals

Vehicle Code section 23117 prohibits transporting an animal in the open back of a vehicle on a highway. There are two exceptions: sides that extend at least 46 inches vertically, or an animal secured in a cage or cross-tethered so it cannot jump out. The statute carves out livestock and dogs being transported for ranching or farming.

Inside the cabin the law is less prescriptive, but the liability logic is straightforward. An unrestrained animal that distracts a driver or interferes with control is a factor in how an accident gets assessed, and the auto policy responds to the collision rather than to the reason for it.

Coverage for pets varies considerably between carriers and Vehicle Code provisions are amended from time to time. Check your own declarations page and the current statute rather than relying on a general description.

Traveling with a dog, in short

Our dogs have a special place in our hearts, but they can be more than just your pet. They are both your friend and your protector. So be light, and don’t be overly troubled when you see them shedding hair; it’s a normal part of owning them.

At Schneiderman Insurance Agency, we review coverage with clients and explain the tradeoffs in plain language. Learn more about our products and services by calling our agency at (818) 322-4744. You can request a free quote by contact the agency

Disclaimer

This article is provided by Schneiderman Insurance Agency for general informational purposes only. It is not legal, tax, financial, claims, or coverage advice. We are licensed insurance professionals, not attorneys, accountants, or financial advisors, and nothing here should be relied on as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional in those fields. This content is general in nature and is not a review of, or a recommendation for, any individual reader’s specific insurance needs, policies, or circumstances. Insurance coverage depends entirely on the specific terms, conditions, endorsements, exclusions, limits, underwriting eligibility, carrier, and facts of each situation, and the actual policy language always controls. We do not guarantee any coverage, pricing, eligibility, underwriting approval, or claim outcome. Reading this article does not create an agent-client relationship. To understand how these issues apply to your situation, please review your own policy and speak with a licensed insurance professional, and consult legal, tax, or financial advisors where appropriate.