Rachel Rodgers

Oct 01

Professional Dog Crates – A Must For Pet Professionals

professional dog crates Market research shows that people in the UK are spending more money on their pets, not just on consumable and accessories, but on professional pet services too. With more pet dogs than ever thanks to the pandemic pet boom, these services are in high demand—and set to carry on growing.

As people begin to go back out to work and on holiday, back at home, dogs still need caring for, training, grooming and walking. So, if you provide training, grooming, walking, boarding or transport services for dogs, good news: it’s a time of great opportunity!

The bad news? The pet service sector has become very competitive. That’s why you need a USP, or Unique Selling Point: a service that only you provide, or a factor that makes your services different or better. A great potential USP is using professional dog crates.

A USP that Dog Owners Respond To

What USPs attract dog owners? Well, they want to ensure their dogs are happy, healthy and safe. A good USP will respond to one of these needs.

You can show dog owners your premises, equipment, food, facilities, training programmes etc. so that they know how you will keep their dog happy and healthy—and safe while on the premises. But they will also want to be reassured that their dog will be safe in your vehicle. By using professional dog crates, you can provide that reassurance.

MIMsafe Professional Dog Crates

What do we mean by ‘professional dog crate’?

To be used by professionals, a crate not only needs to be incredibly safe, but also durable, high quality, and easy to use. MIMsafe dog crates tick all these boxes with ease.

Safe

MIMsafe crates are crash tested in situ, in the vehicle, via extensive in-vehicle testing. This is their USP, as MIMsafe is the only company in the world that does this. The company ensures its dog cages work in unison with the vehicle crumple zone and they’re designed to keep not just dogs, but you and your passengers, safe.

Durable and high quality

MIMsafe’s professional dog crates are strong and built to last, made of high-quality materials. Designed by safety experts, they include practical features like two step locks, reinforced doors and integrated thermometers.

Easy to use

Features like adjustable depth, carry handles, one hand release and various anchoring options make MIMsafe dog crates simple and convenient to use.

Transporting one dog? Three dogs? No problem.

Whether you transport one dog now and then or regularly drive around with a bootful of canines, MIMsafe has the professional dog crates you need.

Transporting small dogs, up to 30 cm in height? Consider the carrier-style MIMsafe Care2. It’s available in in two sizes: Medium for dogs up to 5kg, and Large for dogs up to 9kg. It has an integrated thermometer and is mounted using a seatbelt.
For small to medium dogs transported in the boot, the VarioCage range of depth adjustable crates is ideal, and includes:
- the Single for one dog, available in six sizes
- the Double (for two dogs, with an internal divider), in eight sizes
- the Minimax for small dogs or cats, in two sizes
- the Compact for small dogs. Available in two sizes, its elevated door is designed for easier use in hatchback vehicles.
For larger or multiple dogs, the Multicage is the answer. Available in single or double models, these crates can be anchored to each other horizontally or vertically, great for kitting out a van.

The Professional Approach: Insurance and the Law

While it’s not illegal to have an unrestrained pet in your car in the UK, under the Highway Code, animals should be “suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly.” If ignoring this rule causes an accident or dangerous driving, you may find yourself liable or charged with a driving offence. It may also invalidate your driver’s insurance. Serious incidents could lead to court appearances, an unlimited fine, up to 9 points on your licence and even disqualification.

Find Your Ideal MIMsafe Crate

Using professional dog crates is a great USP and the best way to keep you and your passengers—both canine and human—safe. It’s also the best way to ensure you abide by your legal obligations and insurance conditions.

Find your ideal MIMsafe crate by using the car model search to find crates suitable for your car or the crate fit search to confirm your selected crate is suitable for your vehicle.

Sep 24

Gundog Owners – Unique Opportunity To Top Up Your Income

By Rachel Rodgers | MIMSafe Blog

Be a gundog ambassador

Are you a gundog trainer, trials competitor or breeder? Or a well-respected member of your local shoot? If so, then we have a great opportunity for you! We’re offering people across the UK the unique & exciting chance to top up their income by becoming a MIMSafe ambassador.

As a MIMSafe ambassador, all you need to do is to have one of our crash tested dog crates fitted into your vehicle free of charge and recommend it to people you come into contact with. You will earn commission for every item sold. There’s NO upfront fee of any kind and NO CHARGE for use of the crate. You don’t have to be a salesperson or a marketing expert. You just need to believe in the safety, quality and design of our products and understand that a good quality car crate can make the difference between the life and death of your dogs and passengers in the event of a road traffic accident.

We know that once people have seen one of our car crash tested crates being used first-hand, they are very likely to buy one. So, we’re enlisting the help of our new ambassadors to help spread the word across the UK.

Being a MIMSafe ambassador means you will:

Receive a MIMSafe dog crate of your choice, keeping you, your passengers and your dog(s) safe, completely free of charge, for the first 6 months.
Have the option to buy your crate at a significantly discounted price after 6 months.
Earn commission for every item sold.
Have access to our online portal full of images and videos of the different products to use on social media, your website or anywhere else you wish to use them.
Be given access to brochures, point of sale and other marketing resources.

Help us improve travel safety

Studies have found that in general across the UK, many people are not aware of the importance of properly restraining their pet while travelling. Driving with an unrestrained dog in the vehicle is against the law and could invalidate motor insurance policies. However, it’s the horrific details of what can happen to dogs and passengers in the event of a collision that people often won’t have considered.

We need you to help us improve the safety of pets and people across the UK. Most cages and harnesses on the market will only restrain pets, not protect them from an impact. Dogs that do survive an impact are often thrown from vehicles, either into the path of oncoming traffic, or to run, terrified, from the scene. And even a small dog weighing only 2kg can hit passengers with a force of up to 260kg in a car collision of 56mph. That’s the equivalent of 40 bowling balls…

Crash tested and crush proof

All our car crates are the only dog crates to be crash tested in situ in the vehicle, to ensure that they work in tandem with your vehicle’s crumple zone. This makes MIMsafe crates THE safest way to transport your beloved dogs and keep yourself and your family safe. In addition to being fully crash tested and crush proof, they have many extra convenient features that will make taking your dogs out even more of a pleasure!

But, we’re searching for our gundog ambassadors for the next couple of months only, so if you are interested in becoming one of our ambassadors, please don’t delay in getting in touch.

Email us on [email protected] or call 01256-688777

Aug 25

Professional Dog Cages for Dog Walkers

By Rachel Rodgers | MIMSafe Blog, Uncategorised

professional dog crate In the UK, we’re spending more on our pets than ever before, including spending on accessories, clothes, specialised food, and care and grooming services. Dog walking is one of these thriving and growing service sectors, and likely to experience a boom in the coming months. The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association reported that 3.2 million households in the UK had acquired a pet in the first year of the pandemic, most of them dogs! But as people return to their offices, they will need pet professionals to care for and walk their dog in the day.
If you’re a dog walker, this means plenty of opportunity—but also plenty of competition. The internet and local magazines are full of adverts for dog walkers.
So how can you make your service stand out, so that customers pick you and your services? You need a USP: a Unique Selling Point, which shouts out that your services are better than the rest.

What do dog owners care about?

Like anyone else, dog owners love a bargain and a competitive price. But their primary concern is that their dogs are safe, well cared for and happy when they’re in a dog walker’s care. They will need reassurance that you take every precaution when walking and transporting their dogs, and that the safety of their dog is paramount.
That means special concern for dog safety can be a really strong USP for you.
One way to provide evidence that you go the extra mile is to choose top-quality, safety-tested professional dog cages—and shout about it! Include it in your adverts and mention it in conversations with potential customers. It will make them feel confident about your professionalism and your care for their dog.
Of course, using reliable dog cages will also give you the reassurance of knowing the dogs in your care are as safe as possible when you’re transporting them—and that your passengers are protected too.

So which professional dog cages should you choose?

The gold standard in dog crates: MIMsafe

MIMsafe dog crates are the only crates in the world to be crash tested in situ in the vehicle to the same standard as baby car seats. MIMsafe ensures that its dog cages work in unison with the vehicle crumple zone, keeping dogs, drivers and passengers safe.
MIMSafe’s range of professional dog cages include:

The MultiCage Professional Dog Cage, ideal for vans.

the MIMsafe Care2: suitable for very small dogs up to 30 cm in height, it’s available in in two sizes: Medium for dogs up to 5kg, and Large for dogs up to 9kg. It has a useful carry handle and thermometer and is mounted using a seatbelt.
the VarioCage range of dog crates, which are depth adjustable and designed for use in the boot. The range includes:
– the Single for one dog, available in six sizes
– the Double (for two dogs, with an internal divider), in eight sizes
– the Minimax for small dogs or cats, in two sizes
– the Compact, which is ideal for small dogs. Available in two sizes, it has an elevated door for easier use in hatchback vehicles.
The Multicage professional dog cages, available in single or double models, for larger dogs. The dog crates can be anchored to each other horizontally or vertically—ideal if transporting two dogs or more or if you are kitting out a van.

Dog crates, the law, and insurance

In the UK, it’s not illegal to have an unrestrained pet in your car. However, Highway Code Rule 57 says animals should be “suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly.” Disregard for this rule can cause you to be held liable for an accident or charged with an offence such as ‘careless and inconsiderate driving’. In serious cases, this could mean court appearances, an unlimited fine, up to 9 points on your licence and even disqualification.
Your driver’s insurance could also be invalidated if an accident is caused by an unrestrained dog in your care.

Choosing the right dog cage

MimSafe make it easy to find the right crate for you, your dog and your car. Use the car model search to find crates suitable for your car, or the crate fit search to check your selected crate will fit.

Jul 13

How do I choose a dog travel cage?

By Rachel Rodgers | MIMSafe Blog

You’re looking for a car crate for your dog but there are so many available and everyone claims to have the best dog travel cage. So what do you need to know before you buy?

No regulations

It’s important to know that there are no regulations governing the safety of dog car restraints, so anyone can claim that they have a safe dog travel cage, but it may not protect your dog, or yourself and your passengers in the event of an accident. And even worse, some companies will claim that their products are crash tested even though the product failed the crash test!

You get what you pay for

You get what you pay for. Performing crash tests, monitoring the results and innovating the continual improvements to make dog travel cages as safe as possible is expensive. The tests themselves in the required facilities are costly to run and the materials needed to ensure that crates are safe are high quality and high value. And the design time to innovate and improve products, ensuring that they work in conjunction with the vehicle’s crumple zone and do not compromise safety, is also a lengthy and intricate process.

So bear in mind that any product claiming to be crash tested and 100% with a price tag that doesn’t match the claim is unlikely to protect you, your family and your pet when you need it to.

Danger of road travel

We don’t want to be depressing, but we must warn you not to forget just how many people die or are seriously injured in road traffic accidents each year. The following table is taken from the National Safety Council in the US and estimates are based on data from National Centre for Health Statistics.

Figure 1

dog travel cage and details of death by road traffic accident Figure 1: Mortality Data for 2019, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Population and life expectancy data are from the U.S. Census Bureau. Deaths are classified on the basis of the 10th Revision of the World Health Organization’s “The International Classification of Diseases” (ICD). Numbers following titles refer to External Cause of Morbidity and Mortality classifications in ICD-10.

With the chances of dying from a road traffic accident the 8th most likely on the list, it’s important to make sure that you protect yourself and your family as much as possible while you are travelling.

Loose pets, or pets in inadequate restraints, can become a projectile weapon when the vehicle suffers an impact or brakes sharply. For example, an unrestrained dog weighing 10 pounds will exert approximately 300 pounds of pressure in an impact at 30mph. That’s the same as being hit by a refrigerator! This is why a crash tested, safe dog travel cage is essential.

Young People

With young people even more likely to be involved in an accident than older individuals, it is well worth investing in a crash tested crate for any young drivers under the age of 25 who frequently travel with their dog.

Figure 2

Figure 2: Mortality statistics and road traffic accidents in the UK, Chart taken from the RAC Foundation pdf: road-accident-casualty-comparisons-box-110511.pdf

Why our dog travel cages are the safest

We’re the ONLY company worldwide that crash tests our crates in situ in the vehicle. This is important because anything in your vehicle needs to work in conjunction with the safety mechanisms within the vehicle itself. There is no point in having a crate that protects the dog in crash tests on its own but doesn’t take into account any of the forces or physical apparatus that are present during an impact. Dog travel crates need to work in tandem with your vehicle’s crumple zone to ensure that every member of your family, canine and human, are kept safe.

Our only focus is to produce products that protect you and we continually test, innovate and improve to ensure that this is what we do.
Our dog travel cages undergo rigorous crash tests at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. The tests are adapted to the cage size and load without sacrificing its energy-absorbing characteristics if a collision were to occur. The robust, innovative construction ensures that our crates can withstand massive impact from all directions – we call it Safety 360°.

Read more about our safety design and crash testing on our Safety Design page

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