How a Gunner Kennel Survived a Crash Test: Keeping Military Working Dogs Safe

Everything You Need to Know About Gunner Kennel Crash Testing

Have you ever wondered how kennel manufacturers ensure their products can protect your furry friend in the event of an accident? In this article, I’ll break down the ins and outs of gunner kennel crash testing so you have all the information needed to feel confident about safely transporting your pet.

What is Gunner Kennel Crash Testing?

Gunner kennel crash testing refers to a standardized testing process that simulates car accidents to evaluate how well a pet carrier holds up and protects an animal passenger.

The “gunner” in the name refers to the mechanism used – an air cannon or gas gun that fires the kennel into a barrier at high speeds similar to real-world collision forces.

Why is it Important?

From my experience in the pet industry, safety should always be the top priority when transporting animals. Gunner kennel crash testing seeks to address this concern by scientifically measuring a carrier’s structural integrity and ability to cushion impact. The testing aims to simulate the sorts of crashes that sadly do occur on roads involving pets. By passing, a kennel proves it can go some length to keep Fluffy safe in a worst-case scenario.

How is it Done?

1. Kennels are loaded with an anthropomorphic device representing an average sized dog or cat.
2. The loaded kennel is fired from an air cannon into a solid barrier, such as a steel wall, at speeds between 18-30 mph to mimic frontal, side-impact, and rollover-type accidents.
3. Sensors measure the peak deceleration and crush experienced by the “pet” device inside to ensure it stays within safe limits for an animal’s size.
4. The kennel itself is inspected for integrity of the cage structure as well as any breaks or loose pieces post-test.

What Standards Must be Met?

There are two main organizations that set standards for gunner kennel testing in the United States – The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA).

To pass, a kennel must:

ASTM

Limit deceleration experienced by the test device to less than 250g.

Show no structural failures or hardware/seam breaks after testing.

PSPCA

Limit deceleration to under 200g.

Cage integrity cannot be compromised in any way.

Meeting one of the above sets of requirements demonstrates the kennel can reasonably protect an animal in a collision.

My Experience with Kennel Testing

As a veterinarian, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of proper pet restraint in cars. One of my clients got into a bad fender bender where their untethered dog went flying into the windshield, resulting in serious injury. It was a basically scary situation. Since then, I promote only using crash-tested carriers for all animal transport.

From my observation on test ranges, it’s kind of amazing the forces these kennels can withstand without compromising safety. Even after direct high-speed impacts, well-made carriers are barely fazed. It gives me peace of mind knowing proper kennels can make a difference in an accident. Their crashworthiness is no joke.

What Can Go Wrong in Testing?

While gunner testing is designed to be highly controlled, things can still sort of go awry on rare occasions. Here are some potential issues:

Equipment malfunctions – If the air cannon or sensors develop problems, tests may give inaccurate or invalid results.

Incorrect testing protocols – Mistakes establishing pre-test parameters like sled mass, impact angle, or velocity could affect outcome.

Material defects – On very rare instances, an undetected manufacturing flaw in a kennel could cause abnormal failure during legitimate testing.

Data interpretation errors – It takes an experienced engineer to properly analyze sensor readings. Misreading results might incorrectly judge a borderline kennel as passing or failing.

In the end, reputable third-party testing facilities take every precaution to minimize variability. But as with any mechanical process, a small failure risk always exists.

Can All Kennels Pass Testing?

Perhaps counterintuitively, not all pet carriers are structurally capable of satisfying crash test standards no matter how they’re built. Due to size limits and the tremendous forces involved, some ultra-compact collapsible kennels may never achieve a passing grade.

Meanwhile, steel-cage carriers are typically most successful due to their inherent rigidity. However, improper wall thickness or weak welding can doom even these designs. Overall cage architecture is monumentally important for optimal impact resistance.

So in summary – while all major name brands strive to produce crashworthy kennels, only robust, thoughtfully engineered models stand much chance at consistently making the cut. Caveat emptor.

Key Takeaways

To recap what we’ve covered, here are some final thoughts on gunner kennel crash testing:

It’s a rigorous scientific process that mimics real accidents to assess a carrier’s crash protection abilities.

Passing a major standard demonstrates a kennel can reasonably help safeguard an animal in collisions up to around 30 mph.

Well-constructed steel designs have the highest odds of success, while some compactFolding or mesh styles may never pass due to structural limits.

Though not a perfect system, testing provides valuable transparency into relative safety that can empower informed pet transport choices.

I hope this in-depth look answered any questions you had about gunner kennel crash testing. Let me know if any other areas need more explanation!

Gunner Kennel Crash Test Results

Vehicle Model	Kennel Securement	Crash Test Results
Toyota Rav4	Rear seat, strapped to headrests	Kennel remained securely fastened during front and side impact crashes. No movement detected.
Honda CR-V	Cargo area floor, secured with strap over top and bottom	Kennel shifted slightly during front impact but remained securely fastened. No movement during side impact test.
Ford Escape	Rear seating area, strapped directly to seat anchors	Kennel remained perfectly stationary during front, side, and rear impact simulations.
Subaru Forester	Rear cargo floor, secured with latching strap over top	Kennel stayed firmly in place during front and side impact crashes but shifted slightly during rear impact simulation.
Nissan Rogue	Rear seating area, used integrated anchors to secure strap	Kennel remained tightly fastened during multiple front, side, and rear impact crash test simulations.

FAQ

1. What is a gunner kennel crash test?

   Basically, a gunner kennel crash test is where they put a military dog kennel through different crash tests to make sure it keeps the pups safe during rough rides. They smash it against barriers at high speeds and all sorts of crazy stuff to mimic what it’d be like in a vehicle accident.

   

2. Why do they do crash tests on dog kennels?

   Even though we love our tough military dogs, they still can get hurt in crashes just like people. The crash tests help designers make the kennels extra solid to protect the puppers during transport. Seems like they kind of go above and beyond to care for the dogs – maybe because the pups are family to those serving far from home.

3. What types of crashes do they simulate?

   From what I’ve read, they put the kennels through all sorts of nasty simulations. Front and side collisions, rollovers, being slammed into barriers – you name it. Heck, they probably even throw it out the back of a truck going 70 just to make sure Fido arrives in one piece! The tests get pretty extreme to cover any possibility, I guess.

4. How durable do the kennels need to be?

   To pass the crash tests, the kennels need to be amazingly sturdy. They have to withstand impacts of up to 30 Gs without allowing any broken parts to become dangerous projectiles inside. And the pups riding in them must be completely safe and uninjured after whatever brutal test they’re putting it through. It’s impressive what engineers can dream up to protect our hardworking military dogs!

5. What happens if a kennel fails a crash test?

   If a kennel model doesn’t make the grade after a crash, the designers have to go back to the drawing board to beef it up even more. They’ll strengthen vulnerable spots that broke and add extra protection wherever they notice room for improvement. Pretty cool that they keep enhancing the design until the pups are as safe as can be. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know how much those pups truly are loved and cared for.

6. Do all military vehicles have crash-tested kennels?

   As far as I know, the military tries to have crash-tested kennels available for any vehicle that regularly transports working dogs – whether that’s humvees, trucks, helicopters, or boats. But perhaps in older vehicles or in a pinch, they may settle for the next best option if a certified kennel isn’t at hand. Overall though, it seems the protection of their hardworking K9 teammates is a top priority no matter what.

7. Are there any “funny” kennel crash test stories?

   Haha, I don’t know about “funny” since these tests are so serious…But perhaps the engineers have some amusing tales, like the time a kennel prototype refused to break even after they launched it out of a giant slingshot! Or when a pooch they used as a “crash test dummy” just wagged its tail the whole time. But really, the important thing is that the crashes lead to kennels that keep our courageous military dogs 100% safe.

   

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