Not all cars are pet-friendly, and it can be difficult to find aftermarket pet ramps, pet car seats, waterproof seat covers and other items that fit and work properly in a particular car or sedan. But fortunately for pet owners, it seems that one car manufacturer has tuned in to this problem.
The Pet-Friendly 2009 Toyota Venza
The 2009 Toyota Venza has been designed with pet owners in mind. Toyota's Venza crossover sedan is available with an array of pet-related accessories, which is available for purchase directly from the Toyota dealership.
The availability of optional pet-related car accessories is intended to make outfitting a car to accommodate dogs and other pets easy and cost-effective.
“Venza is a vehicle designed to meet the needs of people with a fun and on-the-go lifestyle...Many of these buyers look to their pets to fill the gap left by their kids. We wanted to make sure the Venza can accommodate this important family member and traveling companion," explained Toyota Product Marketing Manager Bob Zeinstra.
Toyota Venza Dog Accessories
Toyota offers an array of dog accessories for the 2009 Venza sedan, including:
- Waterproof hammock-style seat covers
- Pet ramps for easy access via the rear hatch
- A booster seat pet restraint system, complete with adjustable harness
- A zipline for the rear seat, with matching harness pet restraint system to allow for movement while keeping pets restrained during an accident
- A dog leash tether to keep dogs from jumping out of the car or into the driver's area
- An adjustable pet barrier to keep pets in the back seat or rear cargo area
The 2009 Toyota Venza crossover sedan — and all its pet accessories — arrived at Toyota dealerships in late 2008.
"I'm looking forward to seeing this car," explained show dog breeder and handler Eileen Sherman. "I've literally spent thousands of dollars over the years to outfit my car with dog ramps, dog seat belts, dog car seats. And nothing ever seems to fit properly the first time around. So then you end up having to return the item or you end up trying to alter the car accessory so it will fit your car. But once you start drilling holes and attempting to make a dog accessory work with your car, you can't return it, so if you can't get it to fit your car, you've just wasted your money and you're back at square one. So it's a dream come true that there's a car manufacturer out there offering dog car seats, dog seat belts and dog ramps that will actually fit your car!"
Trends in Dog-Friendly Cars, Dog Seat Belts and Pet Injury Coverage
In recent months, there's been a move toward making car travel safer for pets. Just five years ago, it was difficult to find dog safety items for the car, such as dog seat belts, doggy booster seats, and "doggles" – goggles for dogs who like to stick their head out the car window. But today, dog seat belts, dog ramps and other car accessories are easily found at pet supply stores like Petco, PetSmart, along with thousands of other smaller pet stores.
Many car insurance companies have also become more pet-friendly. Progressive now offers pet-friendly auto insurance policies. Many smaller insurers are also offering this type of coverage and additional larger companies will likely follow suit.
Dog owners can now purchase auto insurance policies with "Pet Injury Coverage" that will cover the vet bills if a dog or cat is injured in a collision.
Related Articles on Dog-Friendly Cars and Driving With Dogs
Dog owners may also want to read about the 2010 Honda Element Dog-Friendly Accessories.
For pet owners who enjoy a driving with dogs, check out Pet Seat Belts and Dog Car Seats to learn about the options available to ensure a safe car ride.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
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