NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As a self-professed dog lover who volunteers with a Middle Tennessee dog rescue and has two canines of her own – Cooper, a nearly 4-year-old Boxer and Charlie, a 3-year-old Boxer/Australian Shepherd mix – Rachel Edwards knows how crucial it is to use a high-quality car seat cover.
“They’re really helpful for protecting your seats from sharp toenails and drool,” said Edwards, Nissan senior planner of Accessory Product Planning, who was heavily involved in bringing a new series of Nissan pet accessories to market.
However, the cover Rachel currently uses, purchased from an online retailer, is far from ideal, shifting and sliding as soon as her dogs jump inside.
“Many off-the-shelf covers are not made for your specific vehicle, so they can move around, allowing dirt to get on the seat or nails to scratch things,” said Edwards. “Many also don’t take into consideration the locations of things like seatbelts or the anchors for child seats.”
Edwards’ experience with existing, off-the-shelf pet accessories was invaluable in working to develop a range of vehicle-specific items for popular Nissan models. They were engineered to fit the exact shape and layout of each vehicle.
“Accessory engineering did a great job of customizing them to fit the seats and the cargo area,” said Edwards. For instance, the Seat Protectors have multiple panels and zippers so the 60/40-folding seat functionality isn’t compromised: “You don’t have to undo the whole pet cover – you can just unzip one side and lay that seat down.”
The range includes a branded Dog Harness, a Pet Seat Protector, a Pet Cargo Area Protector, a Pet Carrier and a Pet Ramp with a storage case. The Pet Carrier is rated for animals up to 25 pounds, while the Dog Harness is offered in four sizes from small through extra-large. The harness also includes a tether strap which secures it to a rear seatbelt buckle.
Vehicle-specific items include Pet Seat Protectors for Altima, Frontier, Pathfinder, Rogue, Sentra and INFINITI QX60, and Pet Cargo Area Protectors for Murano, Pathfinder, Rogue and INFINITI QX60.
From concept to showroom
Edwards said that two Nissan concept vehicles paved the way for the new product line: The X-Trail 4Dogs, based on a European-market crossover, and the Rogue Dogue that debuted at the 2017 New York International Auto Show.
“Immediately, the Accessories team started getting questions about pet products,” she recalled. “People’s pets are their whole life and it’s a lifestyle now, so we wanted to put more attention on it and started developing some products.”
For Edwards, the project has been an opportunity to bring her passion to the workplace in a way that will benefit countless other pet parents. Outside the office, she has volunteered with and fostered dogs for Middle Tennessee Boxer Rescue since 2016.
“Not only am I a dog lover, but I also love our Nissan vehicles,” she said. “It has been fun working on these products to bring Genuine Nissan Accessories to drivers who love to spoil their pets, all while protecting their Nissan or INFINITI vehicle.”
Interested in equipping your Nissan or INFINITI to better accommodate your pet? Visit the Nissan Accessories website, the INFINITI Accessories website or your local dealership for more information on these accessories.
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1 Pew Research Center survey, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/07/about-half-us-of-pet-owners-say-their-pets-are-as-much-a-part-of-their-family-as-a-human-member/
