Piper's Walk 2021

Piper's Walk 2021

Come walk for dog seatbelt safety!

One beautiful sunny evening, an excited chocolate Labrador named Piper and her mom were cruising on Route 108, headed towards Centennial Park in Elkridge, MD. The 2 lane road was an easy drive. Piper was in the back seat, soaking in the view behind the driver's side where her mom was.

Piper's mom glanced over at the clock - 6:40PM. Soon they would be out of the car and walking around the lake.

But just moments later, a speeding car appeared out of nowhere, on the wrong side of the road, right in front of their car. As her mom slammed on the brakes, she knew it wouldn't be enough, and the cars crashed into each other.

A passerby checked in on them and must've called 911. Help seemed to take an eternity to arrive. Piper's mom was trapped, pinned in tightly by her seatbelt, feeling the pain throb throughout her entire body. She was terrified to move and not fully aware of what exactly just happened. But one sound was perfectly clear: Piper was crying behind her,

When help finally arrived, Piper was taken out of the car first. She was covered with a blanket, and people were saying "watch the teeth. " What did that mean? Piper didn't have a mean bone in her body.

Next, her mom was cut out of the driver's seat, still only vaguely aware of the gravity of the situation. She was still in shock from the entire experience. Only after she was in the ambulance and headed to the ER, did clarity and sheer panic set in.

They were just in major car crash. Where was Piper? Was she okay? Who's with her?

Piper's mom was reassured that her dog was in good hands, and she eventually surrendered to the idea that Piper would be just fine. Everything would be fine.

Little did she know, that everything was actually far from okay.

Piper had to wait an hour for animal control to arrive and take her to the emergency vet. She had been found in the footwell of the car, behind her mom's seat. Piper had been growling at the rescuers because she was so frightened. She couldn't move her body.

Piper had never been buckled up in the car, and wasn't buckled up that evening either. The impact threw Piper so forcefully into the back of the driver's seat that it broke her spine, and she was instantly paralyzed.

Paralyzed, but not pain free by any means. The vet had to give her an extra dose of medicine because she was in so much pain. Piper was just hanging on, waiting for her mom to get to her so they could say goodbye. There was nothing the vet could do to help Piper, except keep her pain at bay. To say that the news was devastating would be an understatement. It led Piper's mom through a series of panic attacks; the thought of life without Piper was unreal. When they were finally reunited in the middle of the night, there was only 1 thing to do.

Piper's mom sang their song, "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck, " as Piper drifted away from the euthanasia flowing through her veins. Her mom drowned in a lake of grief.

It wasn't long until Piper's mom started researching about seatbelts for dogs, learning about Center for Pet Safety, the crash testing process, and the very few number of certified car safety restraints.

How could products be sold in stores if they hadn't passed the crash test? Why hadn't she heard of the certified brands before? If Piper had been buckled up, would it had made a difference if she didn't have one of the certified seatbelts?

It was right there, in the middle of the research, that she decided other dog moms and dads needed to know. They deserved to know, so their dogs could travel safely in the car. And so dog moms and dads would never have to go through the loss she was going through. It wasn't much later that Piper's Walk was created!

Piper's Walk is a dog festival with a mission to raise awareness for dog seatbelt safety.

On June 26, 2021, put on your Piper's Walk t-shirt, grab a bunch of friends and family, buckle up your pup, and head out to a local park to spread the message! Let's go save lives.

Walk your dog in his Sleepypod harness. Invite people to check out your Lucky or Gunner Kennel as they pass by your car. Put your dog on your back in the ZuGoPet Rocketeer Pack. Sling that Sleepypod or Away carrier right over your shoulder. Be the spark to get the conversation about certified dog seatbelts started!

You can save a life. You may never directly know if your words and actions made a difference, but what if they did? What if the person you met ended up buying a certified seatbelt for their dog? What if they started Riding Certified, and a few months later, they were in a crash? The certified seatbelt would keep the dog safe.

What if you could save a life? Because you can.

One person alone can't change the world, but together, the possibilities are endless. Imagine...

Dog moms and dads who care about the well being and safety of their pets, all joining forces in different spots around town - in different states even, spreading their knowledge with other dog parents who love their dog more than life itself.

Imagine the ripple effect of your new friend telling a friend, and so on. Pretty soon, certified seatbelts will be a norm, and they will be in high demand. Pet parents - YOU - are the secret sauce to changing the way dogs travel in cars.

YOU are the reason more certified brands will pop up, because you expect safety first and won't settle for anything less. It's a big change to make, but hey, once upon a time, humans didn't even have seatbelts. And now it's a habit to buckle up.

Your dog is counting on you. Dogs you don't even know yet will be grateful for you.

Are you in???

Here's how it works:

1) Invite your friends and family to walk with you on Saturday, June 26, 2021! Decide where you'd like to walk together.

2) Sign up for Piper's Walk. It's only $25 and comes with a specially designed event t-shirt, mailed straight to your doorstep. Sign up by May 22, 2021 in order to guarantee delivery of your t-shirt. If you sign up later, your t-shirt might not come until after the event.

3) On the walk day, put on your t-shirt, then buckle up your pup. Meet your friends and family for a socially distant walk and strike a conversation with other dog families passing by! Tell them all about dog seatbelt safety.

You'll help get dogs buckled up, and make new friends too.

Will you help keep dogs safe in cars? Let's get out there and save lives!

Sign up here: www.dogsridecertified.com/piperswalk2021