Dog-crazy Americans will soon be able to buy a pet-friendly car with

a cushioned dog bed in the trunk, fitted with a built-in water bowl and

fan and a ramp to help less agile dogs climb in.

With the help of a rescue dog named Sammy, Japanese car maker Honda

Motor Co unveiled the pet friendly version of its Element utility

vehicle at the New York Auto Show.

It features easy-wash seat covers, a fitted dog bed with restraints

to keep Sammy safe in the event of a crash, and a paw logo on the side.

Honda said the car would go on sale across the United States from the

fall of this year.

Honda spokesman Sage Marie said it was designed with both safety and

comfort in mind. (It's) a car we think is of interest to many of

today's dog-crazy consumers, he said.

Senior product planner James Jenkins said Americans spend $41

billion a year on their pets, a figure forecast to rise to $52 billion

in two years, indicating a big market for the car.

Pets have become more like family, more important to households than ever before, Jenkins said.
The current model of the Element starts at a little over $20,000 and

Honda has yet to determine how much the pet friendly features will add

on to the price tag, Jenkins said.

Sammy's owner, Heather Cammisa of the Humane Society of the United

States, said she had borrowed the car for two weeks and found the ramp

especially useful.

Sammy actually needs a ramp. Before I adopted him he ended up at a

shelter having been hit by a car and he needs that ramp, she said.

Otherwise I lift him to get into my car.

(Reporting by Claudia Parsons, Editing by Sandra Maler)