Car seat protects roaming pets
March 3, 1998
Web posted at: 12:43 p.m. EST (1743 GMT)
SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- Tired of your cat or dog
running wild around the car while you're trying to drive? A
California couple may have a solution.
Myrt and Albert Edwards' lovable pooch, Elmo, was such a pest on family outings that he sparked a promising -- and
profitable -- idea for his owners.
Their solution? The Comfort Ride, a pet seat for small dogs
or cats that fits easily in the front or back seat of many
cars.
Offering a veritable royal ride for your pet, the seat has
fur-lined padding for comfort and safety straps for those
sudden stops.
"I'd never take another trip with the dog riding on my lap,"
Myrt Edwards explains.
"Now the dog sits in his seat and never bothers anybody," her
husband adds. "He stays right there. He likes it."
The seats are now going on sale nationwide for about $50
each.
Myrt Edwards says the invention not only is convenient, but
protects the pet.
"A dog riding loose in a car is just like a child riding
without a seat belt," she warns.
But pet owners beware: Your dog or cat must be wearing a
harness to be safely attached to the Comfort Ride. A neck
collar alone could be a peril for your pooch.
"It would just throw the dog ahead and choke him," Myrt
Edwards explains.
Veterinarian Erin True likes the Edwards' invention.
Although standard dog harnesses can be attached to seat
belts, True prefers that a pet be strapped in.
"Anything that restrains a dog more securely into his seat is
always a good idea," the doctor says.
KCRA-TV Reporter Greg Larsen contributed to this report.