Driving dogs: Owners often buy cars with pets' needs in mind

When Trapper Cleverly's Mitsubishi Galant broke down recently, his dog Kona crawled into the kitchen corner, put her nose to the wall and sulked.

"Dogs like to go for rides just like people like to go for rides," said Cleverly, who lives in Salt Lake City. "She was sad because she didn't get to go anywhere."

Cleverly usually takes Kona and her canine friends, Koda and Ellie Mae, with him to the grocery store, to the park, to visit family, to work — everywhere. So, after the Galant died, he decided to upgrade to a Toyota Tacoma, the "perfect car" for his dogs, he said.

Cleverly's not the only car shopper who's putting

his pooch's comfort first. More than 30 percent of people consider their pets' needs when picking out a family vehicle, according to a recent survey by LeaseTrader.com. That's up from 12 percent in 2006 and 8 percent in 2003. The trend's not lost on car manufacturers and auto insurance providers, who are making adjustments to make sure Fido stays safe and comfortable on the road.

A dog's dream car

"Ten years ago, a car salesman would have laughed in your face if you turned down a deal because a car wasn't dog friendly," said Gina Spadafori, a syndicated pet-care columnist and author of PetConnection.com. "Things are so different now. It's gone from 'you're crazy to consider your dog,' to salesmen actively pursing this market demographic."

Spadafori herself has always considered the needs of her family, which includes four dogs, two cats, 12 chickens and a duck, when looking for cars, but it wasn't until about three years ago that she realized she was "no longer alone in my insanity," she said.

Now she, along with popular TV veterinarian Marty Becker, reviews cars for dog-friendliness for the popular Web site DogCars.com. The site rates vehicles, not on traditional things like horsepower and handling, but on the ease of removing seats, how many dog crates can fit in the back and whether the car has rear air.

All the Cleverlys wanted from their new car was space — for the dogs and from the dogs.

"It got pretty crowded and hairy in the sedan when we were all in there," said Lindsay Cleverly, Trapper's wife.

A lot of pet owners, though, are more particular.

Molle Hess, a science teacher at Hillcrest Junior High, for example, had a long list of things she needed to accommodate her five dogs. She wanted a van with rear air, double doors, removable back seats and enough space to fit four dog crates.

"I told the car salesman, 'I won't buy the van if the crates don't fit,' " Hess said. "I made him take out the seats and put in the crates right then just to make sure."

Such demands are far from unusual, said Taylor Johnson, a sales manager for Ken Garff Honda.