Commentary

Autotrader Celebrates National Dog Day

There were more than a few dogs hanging their heads out the car window this past weekend -- the weather in Detroit was outstanding. As the dog days of summer draw to a close, Autotrader is recognizing National Dog Day (today!) in a few ways.

Dog owners love to discuss the best and safest way to transport a dog. The conversations usually revolve around crates vs. attaching a harness to the seat buckle. There will always be those who throw caution to the wind and let their furry friends bounce around the car, from front seat to back seat, from window to window, from driver’s lap to wherever they want. Hey, not too long ago people used to do that with kids and babies, remember? Most of us survived.

It’s no secret that people love dogs and cars -- and Autotrader says it has seen the auto industry embrace this love for dogs.  For National Dog Day, Autotrader is introducing its sixth annual list of the best cars and car accessories for dog owners, a website to help strays find homes and an accessory to shield your pup from getting hurt when sticking its head out the window. 

Through Autotrader’s special-edition website Dogtrader.com, dog parents can enter for a chance to win this limited-edition accessory through Sept. 12. Autotrader wants to encourage dog adoption, which is why dog lovers can search for local pups in need on Dogtrader.com.

As part of the program, Autotrader also will donate funds to Adopt-a-Pet.com to help get homeless dogs out of shelters and into loving homes. Adopt-a-Pet.com is North America’s largest nonprofit pet adoption website, helping over 18,000 animal shelters, humane societies, SPCAs, pet rescue groups, and pet adoption agencies advertise their purebred and mixed-breed pets for free to millions of adopters each month.

Dogs are considered members of the family and with this in mind, the editors at Autotrader have curated a list of the best rides for fur parents to help shoppers find the perfect new car for traveling with their four-legged friends. This list includes vehicles that are both safe and comfortable for pets and their owners. 

“At Autotrader, our goal is to help people navigate the car buying process through our extensive lists of vehicles that suit consumers’ various needs,” says Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader, in a release. “With this in mind, we came up with a list of cars that offer both comfort and convenience features pet owners should consider if they’re buying a car.” 

Vehicles on Autotrader’s list of 10 Best Cars for Dog Lovers of 2019 include 2019 BMW X2, 2019 Buick Regal TourX, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica, 2019 Honda Fit, 2019 Jeep Wrangler, 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, 2019 Tesla Model 3, 2019 Toyota RAV4 and 2019 Volvo V60 Cross Country. The models are unranked and are listed in alphabetical order.

While comfort is an important factor when choosing your car, truck or SUV, safety is the most important. The cars on this list have extensive features aimed at keeping both human and canine passengers safe -- including a level cargo floor.  

That level cargo floor is underrated, until you try putting a dog crate in the back. Been there, done that (with a disappointedly non-level one that requires towels stuffed under the crate to level it — it’s such a pain.)

It’s a foolish automaker that doesn’t consider the needs of non-human passengers in designing any new vehicle. 

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