ZuGo Pet is a company that produces car seat harness for pups and small dogs under 25 lbs for safety during car rides and to keep them safe in case of a crash. Co-founder Juls Bindi was a massage therapist in LA who had a problem many dog owners face.
Her dog Russel would get anxiety and motion sickness from all their car rides around LA. She experienced the difficulty of driving around with a dog like Russel and how anxious dogs distract drivers from the road.
Bindi moved to Austin and decided to come up with a solution to her problem. She designed a bag to carry her dog and act as a safe place for them during car trips. She wanted to keep her dog safe in case of a car crash. So, she added a tether to secure her pet carrier safely.
Her prototype was working, so she looked into patents and testing facilities and even started a Kickstarter campaign before she met Carolyn Shewfelt from Idaho. Carolyn had a working prototype of her own, which had passed safety tests, but she never followed through on raising funds.
When she heard of Bindi’s creation, she met up with her, and the two joined forces to launch their company ZuGo Pet. They combined Shewfelt’s crash-tested prototype with Bind’s consumer-friendly prototype and came up with the Rocketeer Pack, a car seat harness for pups and small dogs under 25 lbs.
You may recognize the Rocketeer Pack from their crash test video that went viral in 2017, or perhaps you remember ZuGo Pet from season 10 of Shark Tank.
Bindi and Shewfelt entered the Shark Tank to pitch the Rocketeer Pack from ZuGo Pet and get a Shark onboard for investment and mentorship. They were seeking $100,000 for 10 percent of ZuGo Pet. If you are a Shark Tank fan, you may recall that the Sharks have never laughed harder during a pitch.
When Bindi and Shewfelt revealed the Rocketeer Pack, the cute and somewhat funny videos of pups seated upright in the harness left the Sharks Tank investors laughing uncontrollably. At this point, Shark Lori Greiner even said she couldn’t hear Bindi over the “hyenas-laughing.”
Unfortunately, while the ZuGo Pet’s harness got a lot of laughs, it did not get any investments, and Bindi and Shewfelt left the Shark Tank without a deal.
Our Review of ZuGo Pet
We got our hands on the Rocketeer Pack from ZuGo Pet for this review. We ordered our Rocketeer Pack directly from the ZuGo Pet website, and we were excited to tell you that it is quite the car seat harness. It is a multifunctional harness that doubles as a backpack or front pack to carry your dog around.
In the box, you’ll find the Rocketeer Pack velcro harness with adjustable straps, which has a durable construction and seems fairly comfortable for dogs under 25 lbs. There is also a dog car harness, which looks like a racecar seatbelt, adjustable backpack straps, ISOFIX anchors, and adjustable headrest straps.
This ZuGo Pet product comes in various colors and is fairly easy to set up in your car. The straps are durable enough to withstand high pressures and offer safety-rated seatbelts. Everything is easily adjustable, fits most car seats, and of course, the Rocketeer Pack is crash test certified.
The tether versatility is surprising because you can tether the harness to reinforced back seats, the ceiling or frame around the rear door, the rear shelf of a sedan, the back wall in pickup trucks, or the cargo floor of most wagons, vans, hatchbacks, and SUVs.
Despite what you may have heard from some groups, the Rocketeer Pack from ZuGo Pet is safe and comfortable for dogs under 25 lbs. It is veterinarian surgeon approved, US Center for Pet Safety certified, and our dogs seemed to enjoy car rides without hesitation to get back into the car seat harness.
Thankfully, none of our testers experienced a car crash to sample the harness’ full capabilities, but we did experience comfortable, distraction-free car rides wherever we traveled with our dogs. The harness dangles the dogs slightly above the backseat so they are suspended and do not propel forward or hurt their spines in the event of a car crash.
Notably, the backpack/front-pack straps are quite comfortable and make walking with your dog easy. There isn’t any significant weight to the Rocketeer Pack, and it is sturdy enough that you won’t fear any slippage or accidents from sudden movements.
Overall, the Rocketeer Pack from ZuGo Pet is a great car seat harness for dogs, and we appreciate its versatility, durability, comfort, and ingenuity for keeping dogs safe during car rides.
Pros of ZuGo Pet
Here are the most notable pros of ZuGo Pet’s clever product:
- Crash tested, veterinarian surgeon approved, and US Center for Pet Safety-certified
- Passed multiple safety tests
- Durable and sturdy construction that can last a lifetime
- Comfortable for dogs during car rides
- Offers protection for dogs and loved ones during car rides
- Versatile design is compatible with most cars
- This multifunctional product doubles as a backpack
- Reasonably priced
- Can carry up to 25 lbs
Cons of ZuGo Pet
While the Rocketeer Pack from ZuGo Pet has many pros, there are some cons as well:
- Not suitable for larger dogs above 25 lbs
- It cannot be used in cars without ISOFIX points in the back seat, which includes most old cars
Who Is ZuGo Pet For?
ZuGo Pet is a great multifunctional car seat harness for all pet parents who take car rides with dogs that weigh 25 lbs or less. It is especially good for dogs who get anxious during car rides, distract drivers, or experience motion sickness after rides.
It provides immense safety for dogs and loved ones in the car while ensuring your dog is safe in case of an unfortunate car crash.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Despite ZuGo Pet having patents for their products, there are plenty of other alternative products in the market. They also employ harnesses and tether straps to backseats, but none are exactly the same as the Rocketeer Pack. Many of them are quite basic with minimal features, and most aren’t even crash-tested or certified.
Our Final Thoughts
ZuGo Pet offers an incredible product for the safety of your dog and others during car rides. Therefore, we strongly recommend it to people driving around with dogs that weigh 25 lbs or less. While our ZuGo Pet review highlights all the pros and cons of the Rocketeer Pack, it is also important to note that the company is coming up with a newer, more comfortable, improved version of this car seat harness.
