Recently, Google released its Auto Trends report for 2018. Results revealed that there has been an increase of car owners searching for pet accessories for their vehicles. Based on the results, pet owners are becoming more conscious about how their pets experience their cars.
The 2018 Google Auto Trends report was released on Friday, February 9. According to Yarden Horwitz, an expert at spotting trends for Google, pet owners have grown more concerned about how their fur babies feel in their vehicles, reported The Verge .
“When it comes to the US, pets are a huge market: Starbucks is offering ‘Puppuccinos.’ There’s farm-to-table pet food. Consumers are also going to figure out how to enhance the driving experience for the pet who is their newest family member. Millennials are thinking of pets as their family members, so they are going to rethink how a car is being used by pets.”
Most pet owners searched for dog car seats and dog hammocks on Google, stated Fortune . A simple search on Google reveals other car accessories pet owners could consider buying for their fur babies. At the top of the list are Amazon and PetCo. Both stores sell car accessories like dog belts , seat covers to protect the seats from getting too furry, and a ramp to help pets get into the car.
Laws Protecting Pets In Cars
The sudden concern U.S. consumers have with how their pets experience car rides may be attributed to the numerous state laws that have recently been passed concerning pets and vehicles . According to BarkPost , at least 16 states in the U.S. prohibit pet owners from leaving their fur babies in a parked vehicle .
Among these states are Vermont, Rhode Island, Arizona, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, and California. Most of these laws are similar. No animal can be confined inside a parked or standing vehicle without his/her owner present. It seems the rule applies even when the car windows are a left open to let air pass through.
In some states, like California, the pet-friendly law allows bystanders to break into a car and rescue an animal if it is deemed necessary, reported Huffington Post . The law in California protects the bystander under the good Samaritan laws. Anyone who attempts this sort of rescue should call authorities before breaking into the vehicle.
Other states that include this clause are Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Some states, like Michigan, are even thinking of charging pet owners who leave their fur babies in those conditions with a felony if their pet is found dead in the vehicle.
While these new string of laws concern standing vehicles only, they may have also led pet owners to think about their fur babies’ comfort during car rides. These pet-friendly laws may be the reason pet owners are finding new ways to make their cars more accessible and comfortable for their fur babies.