Pets, Drink Driving, and the Ones Waiting at Home

Messages about drink driving are familiar. The limits, the penalties, and the risks. Yet despite this awareness, people still take chances, often believing they are “fine” or that nothing will happen on a short journey.

Sometimes, it helps to look at the issue from a different angle — one that is closer to home.

The Silent Dependants

Pets rely entirely on routine and care. They do not understand explanations, excuses, or intentions. A dog waiting by the door does not know about celebrations or poor decisions. It only knows that the person it depends on did not come home.

A cat may not show the same loyalty, but it will certainly notice when dinner does not arrive on time. The humour in that observation does not reduce the seriousness of the point: lives depend on us in quiet, everyday ways.

Drink Driving Is Not Just About the Driver

When someone chooses to drive after drinking, they are not only risking their own safety. They are risking:

• the safety of passengers,
• the lives of other road users,
• the stability of families,
• the wellbeing of animals that rely on routine care.

The consequences of a single decision can ripple outward in ways that are never anticipated.

Impairment Starts Earlier Than People Think

Alcohol affects judgement, reaction time, and decision-making long before someone feels “drunk”. Confidence often rises as ability falls, creating a dangerous mismatch between perception and reality.

This is why the only truly safe option is not to drive at all after drinking. Planning ahead removes the need for risky decisions in the moment.

Plan for the Journey Home

Safer alternatives are simple but effective:

• designate a non-drinking driver,
• use public transport or taxis,
• stay overnight where possible (having made arrangements for your pets of course),
• arrange lifts in advance.

These choices protect not only the people in the vehicle, but everyone else sharing the road.

Love Is Shown in Responsibility

February is often framed as the month of love. Love is not just about celebration. It is about responsibility, care, and thinking beyond ourselves.

Choosing not to drink and drive is one of the clearest expressions of that care — for people, for animals, and for the quiet routines that depend on us returning home safely.

A Thought That Stays With You

Your dog would not understand why you did not come home. Your cat would be annoyed, confused, and hungry. Neither would forgive the choice that caused it.

That thought alone is reason enough to make the right decision.