Pet Auto Safety

Yes, his name is Lester - Don’t laugh. It is a name passed down from his mom and dad through his AKC registration papers. Although Lester is a pure-bred Cocker Spaniel with papers, his current owners did not buy him. He was adopted from the local shelter. Lester was given up by his previous owners because he had separation anxiety issues and they had no time to keep up with his grooming. The shelter said that when Lester was turned in to them, his hair was so long and matted that when it was shaved off, they found a batch of maggots living in his fur.

But Lester is a happy dog now. He has a great home with people that love him and take care of him. It was a trial helping him to get over his separation anxiety, but he was worth it. His owners love Lester very much. But they never thought about him wearing a dog seat belt until it was almost too late.

One day when Lester and his family were on their way to the dog park, another car ran a red light. The family car was right in the intersection when it happened and they got t-boned. The passenger side of the car was smashed in and glass went flying everywhere. The human passengers were jostled and bruised, but poor Lester was thrown across the back seat of the car. He was terrified and in awful pain. Medics came and was able to tend to the human passengers and lift them into stretchers. But it was some time before anyone could help Lester. Because he was so scared, he would try to crawl away every time someone came near him. The police were afraid he would get out of the car and try to run so they stopped trying and called animal control for assistance.

Lester was eventually taken to the vet. He suffered a broken paw and bruised ribs, but he was otherwise okay. His owners realized the close call he had had and immediately began searching for a dog seat belt. They found us and ordered the Pet Buckle brand dog seat belt. The Pet Buckle brand dog seat belt is the best on the market. It is strong, durable, and easy to use. And it is the only dog seat belt which has been crash tested. If you know of another brand of dog seat belt which claims to have been crash tested, ask them for proof. The Pet Buckle Brand dog seat belt will not hesitate to provide you proof. In fact, you can find a link to the actual crash test video on this blog site. Just put “crash test” in the search field.

Thank you, Lester’s Family, for sharing this story.

Pet Auto Safety.com was recently featured in an article by www.CessnaOwner.org. Cessna Owner is a magazine for owners of private airplanes. When asked if our dog seat belts would work in an airplane, we said, “Yes”. As long as the airline seats have seat belt harnesses for people, then our Tru-Fit Smart Dog Car Harness will work. Our Kennel straps will work in a private airplane as well. And some of our pet car seats will work in a private airplane if the seats are bucket seats. You can check out Cessna Owner at www.CessnaOwner.org. Unfortunately, the article about pet airline safety is not available online. But you can purchase the July 2010 issue to read the informative article.

Sorry, we don’t have parachutes for dogs. 

This spring when it was time for Towser to travel in the car again while on his way to his disc and fetching tournaments, his owners decided it was probably a good idea to have Towser wear a dog car harness. Based on a recommendation from Paw Prints the Magazine, they called Pet Auto Safety.com. After speaking with Towser’s parents about his size and character, we recommended the large Houndstooth Dog Car Harness.

Towser is energetic and likes to move around a lot, we figured that the perfect dog car harness would be a Guardian Gear or Cruising Companion brand, such as the Houndstooth Dog Car Harness (Cruising Companion). The Guardian Gear and Cruising Companion brands of the dog car harness have a tether strap which can be buckled directly into the seat belt receptacle of the car. Because it is buckled directly, rather than a loop system like the Tru-Fit Smart Dog Car Harness, Towser was less likely to get tangled if he decided to move around.

Because Towser is about 45 pounds and has a big chest, we decided that a large dog car harness would be best. It is best to measure a dog’s chest in order to properly gauge which size of dog car harness is needed, but since we have a dog who is about Towser’s build, we were pretty sure a large dog car harness would fit.

According to Towser’s owners, Towser did great with his Houndstooth Dog Car Harness. They were so pleased with it that they gave us a great review at Paw Prints the Magazine. To read this review, visit Paw Prints the Magazine.com. To read more about Towser and his championship success, visit Team Towser.com.  There are lots of photos and even a video of Towser’s success!

Thanks Towser! We are so happy that we could help.

If you have Guardian Gear brand dog seat belt, a Cruising Companion brand dog seat belt, or a Pet Buckle brand dog seat belt, then the answer is YES! Check out our photos of my yellow Labrador Retriever, Maya, wearing her Guardian Gear brand dog seat belt. As you can see, she has no trouble sitting, standing, or laying down. Since she has more freedom to move about, she is less likely to chew on or wiggle out of her dog seat belt.

The Tru-Fit Smart Harness brand of dog seat belt will restrict your dog’s movement, making it difficult for them to stand up and move around. Some dogs (like Maya) will not tolerate holding still. If your dog moves around while wearing the Tru-Fit Smart Harness brand dog seat belt, then they may get tangled. However, if your dog generally only wants to sit or rest quietly in the car, then the Tru-Fit Smart Harness brand dog seat belt is the best thing for them. Restricting your dog’s movement in the car with a dog seat belt is safer, but not if your dog gets tangled in it. The Pet Buckle brand dog seat belt also has the option of restricting your dog’s movement.

Pet Auto Safety.com carries a variety of pet auto safety products for dogs. Some of the best products are of the Kurgo Products brand. Motivation Design LLC is the company behind the Kurgo Products brand. Motivation Design LLC designed these products, manufactures them, and markets them. Their mission is to provide high-quality products for everyday use.Kurgo Products have been seen on many news features including Good Morning America, The Early Show, New York Times, and more. Although the products have not been crash tested, they have been rigorously tested for strength, durability, and effectiveness. Pet Auto Safety.com is proud to carry many of the Kurgo Products including the Backseat Barrier, Wander Hammock, and the Tru-Fit Smart Harness. The Kurgo brand Backseat Barrier helps to keep your dog in the back seat and from being a distraction to the driver. The Wander Hammock can do the same thing, although it does not go as high up as the Backseat Barrier. But the Wander Hammock has a wonderful feature in that it keeps your dog from being thrown onto the floor of your car. The Kurgo brand Tru-Fit Smart Harness not only keeps your dog from distracting the driver, it also keeps your dog from being ejected from the car in the event of a car accident. It is statistically proven that seat belts save lives for people - they can save lives for dogs too.

Check out the Backseat Barrier, Wander Hammock, and Tru-Fit Smart Harness from Kurgo at Pet Auto Safety.com.

In 2008, the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) show 28% of drivers and 50% of passengers who were killed in an automobile accident were not wearing their seat belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, “Seat belts are approximately 50-percent effective at preventing fatality and save approximately 15,000 lives each year.” There is no study or reporting system on the fatality of pets involved in car accidents, but it would be logical to assume that seat belts for dogs can save lives too.I often hear people say that their dog is good in the car. This is usually in response to the idea of seat belts for dogs. While it is great that their dog is unlikely to cause driver distraction, we want people to consider their dog’s safety too. We do it for ourselves and our children, why not our pets?

Seat belts for dogs are more common than they were 10 years ago. They are also less expensive and better quality. Pet Buckle makes seat belts for dogs which have actually been crash tested. Seat belts for dogs can help with not only saving your dog’s life in a car accident, but they can also help by keeping your dog from being able to distract the driver.

Pet Auto Safety.com currently carries camouflage items for your pet travel needs. There is the Camouflage Car Seat Cover and the Camouflage Dog Car Harness. Both these items have been discontinued so supply is running out. Our supply of the Camouflage Car Seat Cover is extremely limited. However, we were able to acquire a very large bulk order of the Camouflage Dog Car Harness. But depending on demand, that supply could run out within a week, or it could take a few months.

If you have a dog and like camouflage, consider the Camouflage Car Seat Cover and Camouflage Dog Car harness. Or if you know someone in the military who has a dog, consider these items as a gift. Visit Pet Auto Safety.com for your order. The Camouflage Car Seat Cover is on our Car Seat Cover page while the Camouflage Dog Car Harness is on our Dog Car Seat Belts page.

“My dog doesn’t need a dog car harness. He’s good in the car.”
I think it’s great that the dog is good in the car and doesn’t distract the driver. But what about the dog’s safety?

Remember several years ago when there was no law requiring people and children to wear seat belts? Remember how much resistance there was when the law first came into effect? Now it is commonly practiced by most people without question. Do you think that what meets resistance today about common sense safety for your pet will someday be law?

“My dog won’t tolerate a dog car harness.”
If your dog has never worn a dog car harness, he probably will resist it. But like anything else new, you can work with your dog to teach him that wearing a dog car harness is not such a bad. If you had to teach your dog to walk on a leash, for example, you have already had experience in getting your dog used to something restrictive. Check out our blog, Tips to Keep Your Dog from Chewing on His Dog Car Harness. These tips also apply to help your dog get used to ‘wearing’ their dog car harness.

If you don’t have the time to teach your dog to get used to the dog car harness, or if you just aren’t having any luck in teaching them, there are other alternatives to a dog car harness. Consider putting them in a crate and strapping the crate into the car with Kennel Straps. Or put up a metal barrier to keep them from flying forward out the windshield in the event of a car accident. A metal barrier may not be as safe as a dog car harness, but it is better than using nothing at all to protect your dog. Have you heard of a Pet Tube? We don’t carry it, but it is a product worth considering. The Pet Tube is a large ventilated nylon tube which fits into the back seat of a car. Your dog is confined to the tube yet has the ability to move around and visit window to window.

“I can’t afford it.”
A dog car harness starts at about $20.00. Isn’t $20.00 worth the life of your pet?

Please, consider using a dog car harness. We don’t care if you buy a dog car harness from us or someone else. We just want your dog to be as safe as your children.

Trixie is an interesting mix of Malamute and lab. She has the lab head and build, but the Malamute coat coloring, curled tail, and one blue eye. Although Trixie is a high-maintenance dog who needs lots of exercise, she is very well behaved in the car. That is why I never considered getting her a dog car harness - until it was almost too late.It was mid January of last year. It was snowing hard, but my boss insisted that I come to work. I considered leaving Trixie at home instead of taking her to the doggy day care. But Trixie is still young and doesn’t do well when left alone by herself. After making sure the doggy day care was open, Trixie and I got into the car and pulled out of the driveway.

The road was slick. My car literally slid out of the driveway. I considered calling my boss back and saying I couldn’t make it, but an echo in my head told me that I didn’t really want to hear him yell at me. Besides, I thought, I just go new tires on my car. We will be okay.

Even though I was going very slow, my car lost its traction and spun when I tried to turn off of my street. I turned into the direction of the spin and took my foot off the brake, just as I have been told to do by the media and DPS. I cringed as I heard Trixie yelp as she was thrown to one side of the car. Then cringed even more when I heard her cry as the car was jolted to a stop when it hit and jumped the curb.

Trixie was frantic. She kept yelping like she was injured and I feared the worst. I never got out of the car to see what I hit or assess the damage. I was too busy trying to calm Trixie.

Needless to say, I did not go to work that day. After a visit to the vet, it turned out that Trixie was fine - nothing more than a bit of bruising, thank goodness. But for several months afterwards, Trixie was terrified of riding in the car. I have since bought a dog car harness from Pet Auto Safety.com. And thanks to some tips from those at Pet Auto Safety.com, I have been slowly rehabilitating Trixie to ride in the car again. I am happy to say that she has seemingly forgotten the incident and gets very excited when I get out the dog car harness.

(This story is written by us, but with the permission of and in conjunction with Trixie’s owner.)

While the Pet Buckle® Dog Travel Harness has been crash tested and other dog travel harness brands have not, most other dog travel harness brands have at least been strength tested. Crash testing does not guarantee that the Pet Buckle® Dog Travel Harness is safer than other dog travel harness brands, but since other dog travel harness brands have not been crash tested there is no proof about which is better. Strength testing is a valid assurance of safety, but crash testing is more assuring. And crash testing a dog travel harness means something else. It means that the manufacturer cares enough about pet safety that they are willing to spend the millions of dollars to make sure their product is safe for your pet.