Car recovery services - do they transport dogs?

Has anyone's car broken down when travelling with dogs? Are you a member of a recovery service? How did they feel about the dogs? A friend of mine says some recovery companies will not transport dogs.

I haven't so far, in 20 odd years, had a car break down with dogs.

We broke down a couple of years ago with two kids a Doberman and a German shepherd. We sat in the front of the recovery truck and the kids and dogs squeezed in behind. No problems whatsoever from the driver.

A lot won't allow in the cab and many request they stay in the car on the back of the truck.

A girl had an accident travelling home from a dog show. She was hit from behind by an other car.

She was on her with a dog, break down services would not take her and she could not hire a car she was left stranded. She had to get the train home with the dog in the winter and she was a diabetic. Luckily she had some food in her bag and she got home safely in the end. This is what get me talking to all the recovery services to find out how I would fare if I had an accident when travelling with my dogs.

That is the biggest worry as none I spoke to help you if you care is out of action due to an accident,

Most said it was up to the driver on the day re dogs in cab due to break downs

I am with Gem Recovery who are really good, but I don't know about the dog side of things.
Many many years ago, my then bf and I went off to Bawtry to pick up Piaf, my blue dobie, and the engine blew up on the van. The AA put the van on the back, took us to pick Piaf up, then we went to an AA Relay station to await transport home, and everybody was fine about her being with us.
What an introduction to her new life though, she was a star throughout though

I have broken down and been recovered by both the AA and the RAC and had two dogs in the cab with me and the driver.

Basically both organisations farm the recovery out to local agents so it is less to do with them and more to do with the local driver.

It very much depends on the driver we have had ours in the cab with us on two occasions, and on another one had to leave them in the campervan on top of the low loader which I was unhappy with - very unhappy. A car I may have been less unhappy but we couldn't see into the van and had no idea if they were OK or not. What worried me most was I wasn't allowed to stay with them because it was unsafe - so why was it safe for them on their own ?

There may well be insurance issues here. Rules etc.

This last is true.

When I was in the UK I had breakdowns when I had cats in the car. Never an issue but the cats were in carriers.

NB the girl with diabetes should always carry food with her. Always.

Yup!! And the lovely RAC man who came with his tow truck and collected us and the car and winched it up on his truck, just left the dogs in the car - but if they had freaked, he said he would have had them in his cabin. Officially not supposed to, but unofficially he says it is up to each officer.

Good topic and something I've never considered. I suppose I just assumed they'd take dogs.

I found this for the RAC:

http://www.rac.co.uk/pdfs/breakdown/...onditions.aspx

. If there are any domestic animals in Your Vehicle,
their onward transportation is at Our discretion and
solely at Your risk. We will not insure any animal
during any onward transportation We undertake.
Unless there is a safety issue, guide dogs for the
blind, or hearing dogs will always be transported
with their owners.