Bark Buckle UP Top Dog Photo Contest WINNERS

Bark Buckle UP®, creator of the annual TOP DOG awards, is excited to announce this year's TOP DOG photo contest winners, sponsored by the New York International Auto Show. More then ONE Million votes were tallied in the first 72 hours.

The public was invited upload a picture of their pet with their car for a chance to win great prizes from QPG Sherpa, the leader in pet safety and travel products and accessories. Judges from the New York Auto Show, Bark Buckle UP's founder Christina Selter "Pet Safety Lady", Rescue Ink, car experts from AutoTrader.com, and the entertaining host Brian Balthazar selected the three finalists and the TOP DOG.

The winners were announced at the New York International Auto Show on April 26th @ 6pm from in Rescue Ink booth. With no purchase necessary to win, winners received essential pet travel and safety gear from QPG Sherpa including: Sherpa's Pet Trading®, Fox & Hounds™, Cloak & Dawggie®, GoDog™, Luna Brite™, Dog Mountain™, Pez® for Pets and Woof Wear Organics®.

Bark Buckle UP® founder Christina Selter “Pet Safety Lady” will showcased the pet gear from QPG Sherpa, TravelStix and Travel Calm spray during the dog demo media day LIVE from the AutoTrader booth. "These products are functional and designed to make car travel safer, more comfortable and convenient for pets and their owners", said Christina Selter.

Dahn Dahn Dahn Daaaa and the winners are:

Peanut Wins Small TOP DOGPeanut is a tiny Chihuahua from Islip NY and loves her Nissan Sentra and rides safe in his doggie booster seat buckled up every time. "We thank-you! and paws up to my fellow winners! it's true that I have been putting peanut,my chihuahua, in a seat belt and harness for all of his 4 years of life. He now sits safely in a booster seat and is able to see out the window! To me this is so important that I keep another seat hooked up for my grand doggie too. Nothing is cuter then looking in the mirror and seeing their little heads and knowing I am keeping them from harm. thank-you again!" said Peanuts owner Nancy Buckler.

Jenny Wins Medium TOP DOG and Grand PrizeJenny is a Rescue from North Shore Special she is a great Terrier mix lives with her forever family in Garden City NY and rides safe in her Doggie Carrier in her Ford Mustang! "Jenny is just thrilled to have been chosen! Congratulations to all of the other contestants. She loves her blue box and plays with it even while not in the car" said Jenny's owner JoAnn Wolf.


Mowgli Wins Large TOP DOG Mowgli is a 100 pound Golden-Ddoodle - mother Golden Retriever - dad - Standard Poodle from Woodmere NY. He loves his BMW 535 Sports Wagon with the seat extender he is more comfy. "Woohoo Thanks Guys" and Mowgli is a registered therapy dog - we volunteer twice weekly in schools as a READ dog and in assisted living facilities", said Madeline Polen Mowgli's owner.

About Top Dog Awards:
Creator of TOP DOG Awards, Bark Buckle UP® is recognized as the go-to expert and leading research team on pet travel safety. While promoting the pet safety, Bark Buckle UP founder Christina Selter has safely buckled more than 10,000 animals into vehicles, been featured 1,200 national and local newscasts, international press conferences and automobile trade show, delivered over 4,000 pet oxygen masks through her Bark 10-4 program and secured almost 3,000 animals in life vests. Using cutting-edge technology Christina taught more than 60,000 families in her pet safety classes around the country.

Pack up the Pups for some Summer Fun in the Sun

If you could ask your pet if he or she wanted to go on vacation with you or stay in a loud kennel with strange animals and caretakers, how do you think they would answer? We’re thinking “take me with you!” is the likely answer. And the good news is that keeping your pet safe and happy during your vacation is easy with just a little planning.



It doesn’t matter what your destination; the soft, sandy beaches of Florida, or the mountainous terrain of Alaska. Your pet is going to need current and accurate information on his or her ID tags. If your pet gets lost, this is what will help reunite you and them quicker. Also, you will need to have a collar or harness and a leash. For your and your pet’s protection, as well as the safety of others, most states require you to keep your pet on a 6-foot leash. The leash allows plenty of room for you and your pet to walk while also being short enough for you to gain better and quicker control if he or she decides they don’t like what’s coming near them.

And don’t forget the food! We can always stop for a cheeseburger, but feeding that to your pet isn’t the healthiest option for them (or us, really). Packing food & bottled water along with travel bowls will keep your pet full, hydrated and happy. If your trip involves hiking or camping, a backpack for your dog is a great way for them to carry their own snacks and water. We do it, so they won’t mind either.

We don’t always think about safety, but what fun is vacation without it? We make sure we pack the proper gear for ourselves. If I’m hiking, I’m wearing a safety vest and hiking boots. On hot sand, I’m wearing shoes so my feet don’t get burned. The same goes for Fido! A Pet Reflective Safety vest will help your pet to be seen by other hikers, campers or rescue workers. And don’t forget their feet, because you don’t forget to wear shoes or sandals when you leave the house. Doggie Boots help protect the pads of their feet from becoming irritated by hot sand or sharp rocks. A dog with sore feet is a very, very unhappy (and sometimes unmovable) pet.

If an accident does happen, a First Aid kit is essential when vacationing with a furry family member. Every now and then someone will end up with a scraped leg or a bee sting and if that happens to you or your pet, you’ll want to be prepared.

Some of the best vacations will include a dip in the water. Whether it’s in a pool or in the ocean, keep in mind that not all animals are great swimmers, and a personal flotation device or a pet life vest may be needed to help keep them safe. It’s also important to rinse your pet after they get out of the water. Rinsing will keep them from getting hot spots or infections. This in turn will keep their skin and fur healthier.

And finally, after a day of hiking, swimming and playing, a good night’s rest is in order. After all, we want to do it all again the next day. Bringing along your pet’s bed is a great way to keep them, and you, happy.

"Our pets are a very important member of our family, and with them riding in the car, truck, SUV, RV, boating, hiking or camping our vacations will be the most fun possible with them by our side. Have a great time!" said Pet Safety Lady founder of Bark Buckle UP.