pet connection

Two bits of safety related DogCar news took place this week on different ends of the country — both of which spell potentially good news for the future safety of our ever-mobile pups.

On Monday, Toyota celebrated the start of production of the all-new Venza at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Ky. The Venza, you will recall, is Toyota’s first small sport utility vehicle — or crossover — with the ability to be a puppy and people hauler because the seats fold flat to accommodate crates while garnering good fuel mileage at 21/29 miles per gallon.

But the best part about the Venza is that Toyota has previously announced that it will offer a line of dog safety and comfort products as accessories for the Venza. The list includes;

• a rear hatch pet ramp for easy loading and unloading,
• a leash tether for securing pets in the vehicle,
• a pet booster seat with harness,
• a first/second row or cargo area pet barrier,
• pet seat belt buckles
• rear seat zip line-style harnesses.

Waterproof and removable hammock-style seat covers are also available to fit Venza’s bench and bucket seats.

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In a somewhat related DogCar safety development, a press conference is being held Wednesday in Southern California by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and Bark Buckle UP, an organization that is dedicated to educating the public about pet travel safety.

The event focused on the problem of unrestrained animals traveling in moving vehicles and offered a variety of available pet safety solutions capable of safeguarding animals, owners and others should an accident occur.

According to the American Pet Products Association, pet travel is at an all-time high in the U.S.:

• Pet travel has increased 300 percent since 2005
• Delay access to human occupants
• Injured pet may bite
• Pet may escape through a window or door and cause a second accident
• Driver distraction
• 98 percent of dogs travel unrestrained in a moving vehicle (Traffic Safety Reports)
• Pet escapes vehicle, other driver danger and danger to catch the loose pet
• 63 percent of US households have a pet
• 60-pound pet in a 35 mph accident becomes a 2700 pound projectile.

The answer, of course, is to always secure your pet before you travel. For a brief list of some of the top pet travel safety products, visit DogCars.com.