Autotrader Celebrates National Dog Day with Makeovers to Help Shelter Pups Find Fur-Ever Homes

ATLANTA, Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent study from Autotrader, 92% of dog owners consider their dogs to be a part of their family, and more than 77% of dog owners think about transporting their dog as they consider which vehicle to buy. Whether it's choosing the best kibble, the most fabulous leash or opting for a car from Autotrader's Best Cars for Dog Lovers List, the furry members of our family are always on our minds when making big decisions. Yet many pups are still waiting to find their fur-ever family with whom they can drive away from the shelter once and for all.

For its 10^th annual National Dog Day celebration, Autotrader, a Cox Automotive brand, sets its sights on helping pups in need by tapping Emmy-nominated celebrity personality and New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Van Ness for the job.

Van Ness and a team of makeover specialists wagged down to Austin Pets Alive! in Austin, Texas, to give some well-deserved pampering to the shelter's long-term residents. They hope to help the dogs catch the attention of their future families by ensuring the pups are all cleaned up and ready to assume their positions in comfort as beloved shotgun riders.

"We honor the unbreakable bond between humans, their furry companions and the joy of driving with Autotrader's Best Cars for Dog Lovers for 2023," said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. "Partnering with the effervescent Jonathan Van Ness to pamper these shelter dogs, we're reminded that just like finding the perfect car, the journey to finding a loving home for these dogs is a special one. Together with Jonathan, we're embracing the spirit of National Dog Day and creating memories that will last a lifetime by celebrating love, compassion and the open road."

Autotrader has a long-standing commitment to helping dogs in need and raising awareness about the importance of animal adoption. In honor of its 10^th annual celebration of National Dog Day and in tandem with the makeovers, Autotrader also donated $10,000 to Austin Pets Alive! to help all the shelter's residents.

The Best Cars for Dog Lovers list, curated by the expert editors at Autotrader, makes it simple and easy to find 2023 model-year vehicles that are paw-fectly suited for dogs and their owners.

Autotrader's 2023 Best Cars for Dog Lovers*

• 2023 Audi Q3
• 2023 Ford Bronco Sport
• 2023 Honda Pilot
• 2023 Hyundai Venue
• 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L
• 2023 Kia Soul
• 2023 Subaru Forester
• 2023 Tesla Model Y
• 2023 Toyota Sienna
• 2023 Volvo V60 Cross Country

*Models are unranked, listed in alphabetical order.

For more information from Autotrader on the 2023 Best Cars for Dog Lovers, including details on which dog-friendly features helped each model secure a spot on this year's list, visit https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/best-cars-for-dogs.

For more information and news from Autotrader, visit press.autotrader.com, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/autotrader_com/ (or @autotrader_com), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/autotrader/, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/autotrader-com.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market car shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered car shopper looking to find or sell the perfect new, used, or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing and retailing solutions allow consumers to build their deal online, and guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, automakers, dealers, retailers, lenders and fleet owners. The company has 25,000-plus employees on five continents and a family of trusted brands that includes Autotrader^®, Dealertrack^®, Kelley Blue Book^®, Manheim^®, NextGear Capital™ and vAuto^®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on Twitter, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn. 

SOURCE Autotrader