By Sandy Robins

More pets than ever before are travelling with their owners and their safety in transit is of the utmost importance. However, according to statistics published in the American Pet Products Association 2009-2010 National Pet Survey, only a small percentage of pet owners restrains their pets for safety.

Bark-Buckle UP is an American-based company that focuses on educating pet lovers about safety awareness both on the road and when travelling by air. They get their message out by holding public events countrywide. Now the company has a similar strategy planned for Canada starting in June.

“Accidents do happen, and you owe it to your pet to protect them against possible injury,” says Christina Seltzer, the company’s CEO. “As with people, buckling up saves pet lives and people. [At] 35 m.p.h., a 60-pound unrestrained dog can cause an impact of 2,700 pounds, slamming into a car seat, windshield or a passenger.”

An unrestrained pet is also a huge distraction to the driver.

The company has a panel of experts who rate travel-related products and services, awarding their seal of approval to those with the highest level of safety features and consumer pet-friendliness. This seal of approval is fast becoming recognized throughout the pet industry. Visit Bark-Buckle UP’s web site to find out about the latest products to gain pet-safety recognition. You can also sign up for an alert to let you know about events scheduled to take place around Canada this year.

Image courtesy of Sleeppod