Crash Tests For Pets Find Your Pet Carrier Isn’t Crashworthy

I’m willing to wager that as often as people buy SUVs and larger cars for hauling younger humans, a significant share do so for the comfort of their animals. Several automakers offer pet-containment options for their models, but until recently no one had thought to answer the question of what happens to your best friend in case of a crash.

The answer: Unless you’ve been lucky in what you’ve bought, your dog or cat will likely become a flying fur ball.

The news comes courtesy of the non-profit Center for Pet Safety and Subaru, which sponsored a full roster of independent crash testing on hard-sided pet crates and soft-sided pet carriers. Fun fact: Despite what many of those products claim, there are no federal crash standards for pet holders, and the CPS had to design its own tests, complete with 45 and 75-lb. crash-test dog dummies and a 15-lb. crash-test plush cat. (No real pooches or kitties were harmed.)