Are your dogs safe in a car accident? A car crate review.
Lately I have been thinking about what would happen to our beloved dogs in a car accident. We have always had them loose in the car, in beds, super comfy. They can get up and walk around, even chew a bone or get a drink. My entire thought process changed when Juni, our Chinese Crested was in her donut bed in the back of our Suburban and we had to stop short to avoid hitting a car that was making a K-turn suddenly in front of us while we were traveling at around 50 mph. Juni torpedoed out of her bed from the inertia. Luckily no harm was done but she was shaken up and that was my last straw. I didn’t want to be one of those people who wait for something tragic to happen to change the way we travel. I began researching crates, specifically ones that have been proven to be protective in an accident. There are some companies that came to mind immediately, Variocage, Impact, Ruffland, Gunner and a couple others. Only two companies on the market are actually crash tested and have a crash test rating. Variocage and Gunner. There were pros and cons to each of these brands. We have a Suburban and my goal was to have two crates side by side in the back so the dogs could jump in easily from the tailgate. My other requirement was that he crates should be easily removable. I have a bad back and can’t lift anything heavy so lightweight was also key to my choice in a crate.
The Variocage is ideal, it’s formed to fit inside your vehicle and it is like it’s own crash safe little world. You can get all different configurations. It does require assembly and at around 100 lbs for the XL, it is not easy to take in and out so it becomes an all the time part of your vehicle. It is considered the safest of the brands and has a crash test rating. It is also the most costly. We have many dogs so having only two permanent spots would not really work for us, plus it would render the Suburban unusable as a cargo truck.
Gunner is an excellent company. Also a crash rated brand and considered very safe. These kennels are removable like stand alone crates but their very thick walls and little air openings make it too hot of a crate for a dog with a coat like the Bergamasco. It was very important that the dogs could get a lot of air while in the crates. Two XL crates would have been around $1200.00, so not cheap at all but you do get what you pay for. The cost was comparable to the Variocage.
Impact crates are very common in the dog show world. They are made of aluminum and are are very light weight. They are roomy and stackable. You can even get them on wheels and roll them. My only problem with Impact was that I don’t trust the crumpling of aluminum. I personally can not wrap my head around how my dogs would not be crushed if we were rear ended. I think they are awesome crates for shows, home, etc but I was looking for something indestructible.
Ruffland Kennels caught my attention when I saw that they were made from one single mold with no seams and had different door configurations. They offer a two door option which I thought would be great for allowing dogs out of either side if they were trapped in an accident and also for good air flow. There were many accounts of dog’s lives saved in accidents where the kennel had a crack but the dogs were completely unharmed, allowing all the impact to be taken by the crate, not the dog. Their XL crates were narrow but still roomy and they were tall. The sizing allowed for two of them to sit side by side in our Suburban and we had a ton of color options. Primo pads also makes nice waterproof cushioned pads for any of these crates and they fit perfectly. Ruffland offered great customer service and had our two crates shipped within days since we took the color they had in stock. We ordered the front and back door configuration and the doors can open in either direction too! Ruffland is not cheap either but still more affordable than some other brands. They are not crash test rated but their reviews and stories from their customers show that your dog’s chances of survival are very high in a Ruffland. We bought a small one for Juni as well. Our dogs LOVE their crates. They are not heavy and I can easily remove them. They can be power washed and are easy to clean. They also have a top handle which is nice. We tie them down with ratchet straps to keep them in place. Because the doors are not metal, these crates are quiet while the car is moving with no rattling sound. Our dogs jump right in! They have plenty of room and ventilation. We love being able to leave our tailgate open at rest stops while pottying each dog and we love that we can also see them from inside the car thanks to the front/back doors. Joe and I do a lot of traveling and we usually take a few dogs with us. This has made traveling so much easier. I also love being able to keep the dogs in their comfortable space when we are at outdoor shows and performance events. We are so happy with our crates! I love having peace of mind knowing that in the case of an accident, our dogs stand a chance. Ruffland checked all our boxes.
I am not sponsored by Ruffland. This is my unbiased opinion.
