Crash Test Study On Pet Carriers Yields Alarming Results
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Do you travel with your pet? If so, do you use a pet crate or carrier?
Experts say the best way to protect your pet in the car is with a crate, but not all of the pet products are created equally.
Joy Braunstein is an animal lover, so much so that caring for animals is her life's work.
She is the Executive Director of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Joy's German shephard, Coda, is always included in family time.
A few weeks ago, the Braunstein's and Coda had a great time walking the trails at Ohiopyle, but the drive home turned into a nightmare.
Joy and her kids were involved in a car crash.
"The weather got bad, my car hydroplaned and spun," said Braunstein.
Coda was not in a crate, but Joy wishes she would have been. Coda jumped on the kids in the back seat to protect them, but then wouldn't get out of the car, so no one could get to the kids.
Joy had to crawl out of the passenger side and finally coax Coda out of the vehicle.
"As you can imagine a big stressed out German shepherd is not an easy thing to manage in a car accident situation," said Braunstein.
Although no one in the car was seriously hurt, Joy says the next time Coda travels, she will be restrained.
"My kids are in car seats, my kids are behind seatbelts, why shouldn't my dogs be," said Braunstein.
Veterinarians say pet crates and carriers do save lives, but buyer beware. - not all travel pet products are created equally.
Lindsey Wolko is the founder and CEO of The Center for Pet Safety. She says the industry of pet crates and carriers is unregulated.
"What most people don't realize is the products we purchase for our pets for travel have never been tested or crash-tested," said Wolko.
For the first time, The Center for Pet Safety, along with Subaru of America engineers, conducted crash tests on pet crates.
In many of the tests, the stuffed animals meant to represent real animals, went flying through the vehicle. In some cases, the crates basically exploded, creating a dangerous situation for both the animal and people inside the car.
The debris from the broken crates alone, created a hazard.
"The anchor points for the crate are critically important to ensure that the product does not release if you do get into a crash, a sudden stop, or an accident," said Wolko.
Three carriers did particularly well in the crash testing.
They are the Gunner Kennel with Anchor Straps, the Sleepy Pod Mobile Pet Bed with a Handilock, and the Pet Ego Forma Frame Jet Set carrier with a Latch Connection.
As for Braunstein, she says she is already looking into the different types and brands of crates to make the best and safest choice for Coda.
"I think everyone out there should learn the lesson that I learned and before something bad happens," said Braunstein.
You can check out the full results of the pet carrier crash tests online: http://www.centerforpetsafety.org/2015/07/2015-crate-carrier-study-findings-released/
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