Preventative safety measures keep your pets alive

Humans make resolutions: lose weight, act nicer, cut up the credit cards. This year, pet owners might also resolve to invest in some products to keep their pets as safe as possible while they navigate in our world.

Champion Canine Seat Belt System, from $32, canineauto.com

Dogs love car rides. But they can be a major distraction while driving. And in a 30-mph collision, a dog can be thrown with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of force into other occupants of the vehicle, easily causing life-threatening injuries, according to canineauto.com. And dogs often run away in confusion or interfere with EMT workers in the case of an accident.

Canine Auto Restraint Equipment (C.A.R.E.) was created by a couple who lost their dog in a vehicle-related accident. They vowed to make a proper restraining harness without cheap nylon and plastic clips, which can snap and break.

C.A.R.E. belts are made to human seat-belt standards, with thick webbing that restrains more than 2,000 pounds of force; livestock-weight metal swivel snaps and D-rings with rounded edges; and padding and a design that helps distribute pressure across the dog