A Crashing Dog Inspires Line of Canine Seat Belts

It all started as puppy love.

“I didn’t think of it as a business. I just love my animals,” said Carl Goldberg of Ruff Riders LLC, a Boulder company introducing seat belts for dogs.

A problem arose whenever Goldberg’s 115-pound chocolate Labrador rode in the car: The dog would fly into the windshield when the car came to a stop. Two broken windshields later, Goldberg decided that it was time to make a doggy seat belt.

Ruff Rider’s product is a harness that slips over the dog’s head and is adjustable. It has loops through which an owner can slide the seat belt; it can be used as a small leash outside the car.

“I didn’t want another gizmo,” Goldberg said. “I wanted a working piece of equipment that would keep the dogs safe.”

Pampering pets has become big business. Nationwide, critter sitters, dog washes and even pet funeral homes are cropping up. About 60% of U.S. households had a pet in 1996, up from 56% in 1988, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn.

And people are spending more on their faithful friends. In 1997, about $22.6 billion was spent on pets, up from $16 billion in 1993.

The design for the Ruff Riders canine seat belt went through 15 prototypes and several years of research and design before Goldberg was satisfied.

He says his harnesses are stronger than regular seat belts, made with a special fabric that the military uses to make parachutes.

The harnesses come in various versions: There is a basic model, for about $40, and a model also designed for outdoor use, for about $70, that includes a small pack for food and water. The harnesses allow the dog to move around and sit in various positions while attached to the seat belt.

Ruff Riders also is making special $110 harnesses for assistance dogs, used to help guide blind and other disabled people. This model was designed with the help of the past president of a guide dog organization.

Goldberg said most of the harnesses have been sold off his dog’s back--people see them and want to buy one, he said.

“I said to myself, ‘Maybe this is a business. I’m not the only one,’ ” Goldberg said.