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Quick fix to pet crates that are missing some pieces
By Ericka Basile
April 27, 2010
April is the time my family starts to make plans for the summer. I am planning which camps my kids want to take (scuba and beach volleyball), a road trip to visit family in Alabama, and a short trips with the dogs and kids to Key West.
I went into my messy garage to knock the spiderwebs off the crates. 
The travel crates have been used for a few years and fallen off storage shelves many times as my kids root around for stuff in the garage to ‘make tents’ or ‘get stuff for a lemonade stand.’
One of the main things wrong with my dog crates (I have four of them, from small to really big) is that the top and bottom of crates are missing some of the pieces that hold the crates sections together.
I could use plastic ties or go buy all new crates, or … get replacements for the fasteners. And just in time …
DRYFUR sent me a deluxe package of travel accessories for dogs to test out. Included are smart items for travel, mainly for airline travel. Ultra thick absorbent DRYFUR pads for crate bottom (to wick away urine for dogs who can’t “hold it” during long trips), spill-proof water and food bowl that hook onto crate door metal grids, Pet Carrier Insert , Live Animal Stickers/feeding instruction, cable ties, Temporary Pet ID Tag, Laminated Kennel Tag for pet’s and owner’s name, Airline Check-List, Document Storage Zip Pouch, Reinforced Dry Food Storage Zip Bag and…
….ta-da, my favorite: a packet of universal bolts to fix crates. Any size crate.
What a great idea. I replaced all the old or missing fasteners with DRYFUR’s metal bolts. All crates back in service — and really, I need to keep them that way, because here in hurricane country you just never know when you’ll need to go.
Now, I’m back to searching the Internet to reserve a cute B&B in Key West for my two and four-legged family members.
——
http://www.dryfur.com
Deluxe Pet Airline Travel Kit/ Small $ 23.75
Universal Kennel Hardware (bolts and nuts for all size crates) for $ 7.99
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I always, always, always use cable ties to fasten the door to the crate closed when flying a dog. The life it saves might be your dog’s.
To attach the cable ties you need to drill pairs of holes through the plastic around the door opening. Place one hole just inside the door and the second even with the first on the outside of the door. The holes need to be big enough for the cable tie to go through and about an inch apart. Put pairs of holes like this in all four corners of the door opening. On big crates I put two pairs of holes and two cable ties in each corner and more in the middle of each side, top and bottom.
Once TSA is through with their inspection run a tie through each inner hole, out through the door, through the outer hole, and zip up the cable tie. I carry a big toenail clipper to cut the ties on arrival. Also carry plenty of spare ties.
I have shown up in baggage claim to see the crate badly broken (by the airline, not the dog). The door was held in place—and the dog in the crate—only by the dozen or so cable ties. I can’t say it saved the dog’s life on this occasion, but it certainly saved a lot of trouble. Cable ties also keeps yahoo baggage handlers from opening the crate to “pet the doggy” or whatever. In an emergency it’s easy to cut the cable ties and get the dog out. I would never fly a dog without cable tying the door shut.
Comment by Grahund — April 27, 2010 @ 11:06 am
To attach the cable ties you need to drill pairs of holes through the plastic around the door opening.
Comment by Grahund — April 27, 2010
The newer crates from Petmate already have these holes. :)
And I remain of the belief that who ever invented cable ties (a/k/a zip ties) has made an extraordinary contribution to the good of humankind.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 27, 2010 @ 11:18 am
I am fond of the wheels that attach to some airline crates. Much easier getting dogs/crates/luggage from parking to checkin.
Comment by Donald McCaig — April 27, 2010 @ 11:45 am
http://www.whitegatecourt.com/
We stayed there with our dogs and it was really nice. The Florida Keys are very dog-friendly.
Comment by Marilyn Wolf — April 27, 2010 @ 1:54 pm
Next you need to come up with replacement doors for the ones that get rusted.
Comment by Marilyn Wolf — April 27, 2010 @ 1:55 pm
Those universal bolts are a great idea! Things I’ve had the worst luck with: clip-on water bowls. I’ll be curious to see how Ericka likes the ones from DRYFUR, but the foxhounds we’ve traveled with seem to pull these off in about the first 45 seconds after we load them in the crates. It’s maddening. The ones we’ve had have never seemed very stable. Hoping for an improvement before we have to fly any more hounds!
Comment by Glenye Oakford — April 27, 2010 @ 2:15 pm
The bowls in the kit look very stable much more so than the petmate or bargain hound brands. Also they are spill resistant which is a great feature since they are obviously going to be lots of movement while flying and traveling.
Comment by Brandy — April 27, 2010 @ 3:38 pm
I *heart* zip ties. This time of year I have some in my pockets most of the time. I use them in the garden, to make repairs on the chicken coop - and to hold crates together.
They’re right up there with sliced bread.
Comment by Janeen — April 27, 2010 @ 3:55 pm
I love zip ties, too! The big industrial size UV resistant ones will even hold a horse fence together. And don’t forget duct tape. It’s pretty special, as well.
Comment by Rori — April 27, 2010 @ 5:02 pm
I love the zip ties because you can tie more than one together and make a chain, if needed. I keep some in my emergency kit in the car.
@Marilyn Wolf
Thank you for the tip! Love it!!!
@Glenye Oakford
I’ll test out the clip on bowls. The lips on them look really good/ no spills. I am curious how the dog can get the food out, though. I’ll comment back on this topic once I’ve tried it out. Well, once my DOG has tried it out, lol. Although, it would be funnier to see me try it out, don’t cha think?
Comment by ericka — April 27, 2010 @ 7:05 pm
I just use large plastic yogurt containers for bowls. Heat a nail on the stove, poke a couple holes about 1” apart near the rim of the container, and use a zip tie or bit of wire to attach in to the crate. Half full it still won’t spill.
When we were shipping out some of the ONB dogs from Billings, the freezer in our rented place was full of yogurt containers half full of blocks of ice. It melts gradually and provides the dog with a constant supply of a little bit of cold water.
Comment by H. Houlahan — April 27, 2010 @ 8:03 pm
BTW, regular bolts and wing nuts from the hardware store work just fine and you don’t have to order them special. A lock nut or locking washer is a good precaution.
I have had shipping agents at airports absolutely refuse to take a crate that had ANY zip ties in the holes for the bolts. I got into an argument with one because I’d drilled four extra holes and zip tied them. No problems so far zip-tying the doors.
I attach the dog’s paperwork in a zippered nylon pencil pouch from the dollar store, the kind that are meant to snap into a three-ring binder. Zip tied through the ring holes, with extra holes drilled into one side of the crate rim. Much better than duct-taping a plastic bag with all the papers.
Comment by H. Houlahan — April 27, 2010 @ 8:09 pm
@H. Houlahan
Love all ideas. Especially the dog’s paperwork. Having it stick on (DRYFUR’s has a sticker) is good, duct tape better, but zipping it all there…brilliant.
Comment by ericka — April 28, 2010 @ 3:12 am
There are now removable zip ties with a little tab that releases them. They seem to work just as well and are easier to travel with in case somebody decides your “sharp” is dangerous.
Comment by badragon — October 3, 2010 @ 12:04 pm