Do these people really exist as an organization? Their address is a post office box disguised as an office. Google the address and see how many people use the exact address, including suite #.
11921 Freedom Drive
Suite 550
Reston, VA 20190
After reading about this effort, I was stunned that pet products don't have to meet safety requirements before hitting the shelves. It is a sad state of affairs that as pet owners we spend our money on products that may not be safe or may put the lives of our pets - or our families - at risk. I'm glad to see an organization that is working to change things in a meaningful, positive way.
Very thankful that they've stepped up to provide this service. Our economy allows for manufacturers to get away with outright lying about their products. We need organizations like CPS, who try to protect us and our loved ones, and they should receive money to perform their testing, from a pool funded by manufacturers!
CPS has helped me make sound decisions when buying pet safety products such as seatbelt harness and car seat. They are constantly writing updates so I know they don't just run a test and call it good. I love my fur-babies and couldn't be happier with all the work CPS does!
II like reading the cps updates and posts. I feel like they represent the common pet parent. My dog is family and I want to get her safe toys and equipment. The cps has helped me see the kinds of things to look for and make informed desicions about products for my pet. I feel they are a voice for us because they seem to really care about what they are doing and strive for safety. I appreciate all they do daily to protect my pet from manufacturers that take the easy route or do not test their products. I have learned so much from them.
Thanks for the past and continued research! I couldn't find any similar information available for pet safety. As a veterinarian, I was often asked for resources such as this and now I have a group to recommend. I appreciate the unbiased reports and the willingness to break new ground.
I am so very glad there is a place that is non profit and doesn't receive funding from companies that they test their products from. I have 3 Maltese that mean the world to me and their safety is just as important to me as everyone else in my vehicle. It is nice to know there are people out there that care too and are making honest reports on safety products for pets and not a company just trying to sell me something.
I regularly transport dogs on long trips in our van, as we would never consider boarding or leaving our 3 dogs, even at home with a pet sitter. Our dogs always *always* go with us - in the car. Humans wear crash-tested seat belts - why is crash testing on dogs' harnesses only being done now? Thank goodness for Center for Pet Safety, which brings together qualified experts, equipment manufacturers, and consumers to develop dog safety devices that actually protect the safety of the dog in the car. How radical is that !?! It's about time! We look forward to supporting their important work in the years to come, because we know that they are bringing science to bear on this problem, and working to build collaborations so our dogs will not risk injury from the very devices that were marketed as protective.
I have 4 dogs that I compete in dog agility with. This means I've spent thousands of miles a year driving all around the southeast. I initially purchased harnesses for my dogs that claimed to be crash-tested. When a fellow agility competitor was involved in a serious accident it was then I became aware of the issue that there are no standards for pet travel harnesses so I tried to look online to find out if there were standards to market a product as crash-tested approved. That's when I found the Center for Pet Safety. I am a scientist so I value scientifically proven results and found the information on their website invaluable. Not only do they provide crash test videos but they also provide testing results that are clear to understand. I had a question for CPS and they were extremely fast with their answers. I now use their website when making decisions on what products to purchase.
An unbiased organization (takes no advertising or donations from those being researched, has no vested personal or financial interest in the companies or the products being tested) using scientific rigor to establish base line safety in conjuntion with experts in safety and engineering. No, the folks who run CPS aren't experts... but it is not always what you know, but who you know. They ask the hard questions (Does it protect? Does it cause harm?) and then, by consulting with experts in the field, figure out how to test products aned identify weaknesses, and determine if prodcuts meet the claims they make, and keep our pets safe, or not. Yep, those folks who want to claim they have products that protect our pets, but don't back them up with solid, unbiased testing aren't going to like this. No one else is doing this kind of questioning and testing. Doing what pet owners would do themselves if they had the resources! Keep up the hard questions CPS!
I was had purchased a harness for my border collie who loves to ride in the car with me when I heard about the Center for Pet Safety and their harness testing. I was dismayed to discover that the harness I had purchased was so unsafe that it could actually endanger both my dog and myself. Thanks to CPS for making people aware of the bad products out there - and that there are good, safe alternatives.
As the owner of two dogs who frequently travel with me via car, I have long been concerned with their safety. I have never felt comfortable taking the word of a product manufacturer that their product actually worked as claimed. Now it turns out that the product that I did buy, did not pass the crash test performed by CPS and I will have to purchase something else. I am so glad this organization exists to protect dogs.
Grateful for the existence of Center for Pet Safety. My dog travels a lot with me in the car and the first thing I bought was a harness for their safety. I do not skimp on price and trusted that the one that I bought was the best one because the manufacturer stated the harness was tested for safety. Thanks to the studies of Center for Pet Safety I discovered that the harness I was using on my dog did not even pass the initial test (maintaining harness structural integrity for the duration of a five-second hold period). I can not imagine what would have happened if I'd had any accident while my pet was with me in the car!
Given the vast amount of pet harness and other safety devices ranging from $50 to much much more, I want to know that the product I'm getting proves it's complains. It's like walking into a restaurant and getting told the wait would be approximately an hour. After an hour and a half, the hostess said "well I said approximately". While it's ok to leave the restaurant, it's not ok to be misled by your pet's safety product in an emergency. I put my trust into every business I purchase from, that what they claim on the label is correct. I am elated that there is finally an organization that will verify it!
With many in the industry touting their products as tested and approved, CPS defines standards and provides clear feedback to manufactures and the public about the safety of products on the shelf and internet. They rely on scientific studies to define best practices for the first time making them appear like the Consumers Union for the pet industry.