Sandy Robins • E-mail

Picture it. The SUV is packed for a family vacation. Mom and dad are up front chatting. The kids are in the back seat plugged into their iPods, along with the family cat snoozing comfortably in the latest Sleepypod mobile pet bed — which has been plugged into the cigarette lighter to gently heat its interior for extra feline comfort. Fido is sitting on a specially padded cover in the cargo section, secure in a pet harness watching the latest dog entertainment video on the car’s backseat TV screen.

No, this isn’t some ad man’s vivid imagination at work for a TV commercial, but a typical scenario focusing on some of the hottest travel accessories designed to make life on the road more comfortable for pets as they accompany their pet parents on vacations, weekends away, or simply on errands to the nearest supermarket or Starbucks for a latté.

The pet industry in America is a $40 billion business. Consequently, pet manufacturers are constantly sniffing out and digging up new ways to endorse this growing travel trend.  Competition is fierce and punctuated throughout the year by huge pet expos held around the country where pet lifestyle innovators get together to unveil their latest merchandise and inventions. Last week, the industry’s movers and shakers were in Las Vegas to show off their wares at the annual Superzoo Expo.

You know it isn’t all kibble and bits when DaimlerChrysler, which produces Jeep, starts looking to get a foothold in the industry. In fact, the latest Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Rubicon to debut at the show have nothing to do with negotiating tough terrain in a 4-wheel drive that typifies life in the great outdoors. They are super-sleek pet strollers with front shock absorbers and rear safety brakes and offer pets a great view and from a bug-proof interior. They have a parent tray for keys, water bottles and other paraphernalia and are ergonomically designed for comfort for both the passenger and the pusher.

Jeep The new Jeep Rubicon is a super-sleek pet stroller with front shock absorbers and rear safety brakes and offer pets a great view and from a bug-proof interior.

“The Rubicon is an all-terrain stroller designed for joggers with pets who can’t hold the pace,” explains Todd Jakubowski of Pet Gear, the company in West Rutland, Vt., that has the Jeep license in its pocket. It’s also great when sidewalks are slippery or covered in snow but you still want to give your pet some fresh air. Then there are bike trailers for cyclists to take Fido along too.”

The company also has a patent pending on its new auto carrier that that snaps into place in a vehicle the same way as a baby carrier is secured.

“It great for great for small dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, birds and other small domesticated animals,” confirms Jakubowski.

And just like the sleek Sleepypod carrier, with its ballistic nylon exterior and faux fur interior that converts into a personal living space at the travel destination, the latest BedPals range of pet car seats feature huge stuffed animals that also convert into comfy snooze zones. Pet lovers can choose from Matty the Monkey, Patrick the Panda and Roar the Lion.

myluckydog.com BedPals car seats feature huge stuffed animals that convert into comfy snooze zones.

“People are now beginning to understand the need to restrain their pets securely and buckle them in the way they protect children and themselves,” says Gordon Spater of Kurgo in Newburyport, Mass., a company that focuses exclusively on pet travel accessories such as safety harnesses and backseat barriers made with reinforced steel and designed to protect pets from shooting forward in an emergency braking situation.

“There’s easily been a 300 percent increase in the number of lodgings accepting pets throughout the U.S. in the last three years,” says Derek Welsh, president of BringYourPet.com, a Web site devoted to peripatetic pets and their humans. In fact, the Automobile Association of America alone lists more than 13,000 pet-friendly hotels around the country, not to mention restaurants, shopping malls and entertainment centers that extend their hospitality to visitors with four paws and a tail. So what could possibly come next?

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