Top 10 best vehicles for pet owners

Edmunds.com

If your pet hops into your vehicle and travels with you on a regular basis, you may have some interest in a new list released this week.  There are certain vehicles in which it is safer, and more convenient, to travel with a pet.

The pet safety experts at Bark Buckle UP have collaborated with the online automotive website Edmunds.com to come up with a list of 10 vehicles which make traveling with pets safer and more convenient. Here’s what they recommend, in alphabetical order, along with their pet-friendly features.

1. Dodge Journey-has rear backup cameras to ensure pet owners don’t accidentally run over their own animals while in reverse.

2. Ford Flex-has extra room for large dogs and their crates.

3. GMC Acadia-has tri-climate control so animals riding in the back cargo area don’t become overheated.

4. Hyundai Tuscon-has climate control, fold down seats, and privacy glass to help keep the cargo area cool.

5. Jeep Liberty-Jeep offers special pet accessories to go along with their vehicles, including a ramp, crates and a carrier.

6. Kia Borrego-has backup warning system and rear cameras as well as full-length side curtain airbags.

7. Mazda 5-has sliding rear door to allow easy access for pets, side curtain airbags, and tethers and anchors in second and third rows for security pet restraints.

8. Mitsubishi Outlander-has stow-able third row seats to make room for larger dogs and plenty of storage space.

9. Subaru Tribeca-has rear backup cameras and five star crash rating.

10. VolvoXC70-Volvo makes a specially designed pet barrier which can be installed by a dealer. It’s designed to remain intact in the event of a crash and has been crash-tested by Volvo.

Bark Buckle UP says even with those safety features, it’s still important to restrain your animals in either a crate or with a restraining belt or device. 82 percent of dogs will travel in a vehicle during their lifetime and the vast majority of those furry passengers will do so unrestrained.

You’d never drive without properly securing your children-so then why do so many pet owners do so with their animals? Perhaps they don’t realize the risk. An unrestrained animal weighing 60 pounds becomes a 2,700 pound projectile in a crash at just 35 miles an hour. That’s dangerous to the pet, and the human passengers.  The Bark Buckle UP website has a list of the best products for restraining a pet in your vehicle.