Although you see many dogs in the front seat with their head out the window, it is certainly not recommended because they could be injured by flying objects. The safest place for your pet while in the vehicle is in a well-ventilated crate. The crate should be secure so it will not shift in the event of a quick stop and be big enough for the animal to stand, sit, lie down and turn around in.

If you do not have a crate or your pet is not used to being crated, vehicle harnesses that attach to the seat buckle are available at most pet supply stores. You should also equip your vehicle with a pet traveling kit including: food, bowl, leash, a waste scoop, plastic bags, grooming supplies, medication and a pet first-aid kit. You can also bring your pet’s favorite toy or pillow to give them a sense of familiarity on longer trips.

You also want to bring your own water. Bring bottled or put tap water in a jug. Drinking water they’re not used to can upset some animals stomach. This is the last thing you want on a long drive with your pet!

Generally it is not a problem going over state lines with your pet, but some states do require proof of your pet’s rabies vaccination. Ensure your pet is wearing a up-to-date rabies tag on their collar or bring the vaccination record. In addition to the rabies tag your pet should have a tag with your cell phone number and any other relevant contact information.

If you travel a lot with your pet you may be interested in the following top 10 vehicles for pet owners:

• Dodge Journey
• Ford Flex
• GMC Acadia
• Hyundai Tucson
• Jeep Liberty
• Kia Soul
• Mazda 5
• Mitsubishi Outlander
• Subaru Tribeca
• Volvo XC70

Learn more about pet-safe vehicles.

Contact us at (978)356-5511 for more information about insuring these vehicles.

To put it simply, ice dams are caused by an overly warm attic. When indoor air escapes into your attic, it warms the snow accumulated on the roof top allowing the snow to melt enough to turn into water. When the air temperature is low enough, this water freezes at the edge of your roof. Many homeowners tend to think they need a new roof when they get ice dams. In fact, many homeowners reroof their house and still get ice dams.
Before having the roof replaced, check for any gaps in the insulation of your attic. These gaps may be letting the indoor air escape. The easiest way to check your insulation, is to crawl around your attic and look. While you are up there, double check that the insulation covers the top plates of the exterior walls and take a measurement. You should have a minimum of 14 inches of fiberglass, cellulose, or open-cell spray foam. If you have blown-in fiberglass, you should have about 20 inches. Once you ensure your attic is property insulated, you should also check to see that the ventilation from your bathrooms is going outside and not to your attic.
While the focus of this article is to prevent ice dams, we think it is important to note that re-insulating your attic not only saves on your heating bill in the winter; it also saves energy in the summer by helping your home stay cool in the warmer months.
Like in the case of Ice dams, when homeowners feel heat escaping from their roof, they automatically think they need a new roof. This is not always the case, and reinsulating is a lot more affordable than reroofing.