DIY Pet Barrier for Under $20

Earlier this week I showed you my Last Minute Pet Barrier I used in a pinch to get  my dog to the vet. This option was free and used things I had around the house, an old bed rail and bungee cords.

This option is more custom and can be assembled to fit the dimensions of your car - it is also quickly disassembled for easy storage.

Supplies:

1/2 inch PVC pipe (I think they come in 10 foot lengths)
2 "T" connectors (1/2 inch)
4 90 degree elbow connectors (1/2 inch)
2 Parachute clips
1 yard of nylon strapping
Measuring tape
Hack saw

Measure the back of your vehicle (taking into consideration any slope to the sides of the roof). My Acura MDX measured 45 inches across. This will determine the length of the cuts.  I wanted my barrier to be 45x14 inches.

The fittings for the corners and sides will take up about 1 inch of your length. PVC is easily cut with nearly any saw.  Start by drawing your saw back toward yourself slowly to make a groove then saw to length.

Here were my measurements:

3 pieces of PVC 42 inches long.

4 pieces of PVC 4 inches long

Now, using your fittings, put it all together. Using your two 4" pieces of pipe and the "T" fittings create your sides. Cap them off with the elbow fittings and fit the longer middle pieces of pipe in the center, then attach your second side.

At this point, you could be finished and have a perfectly functional barrier that can be attached using bungee cords:

If you would like to dress it up a bit, you could use your parachute clips and nylon strapping to create the straps for attachment.

I cut my yard of strapping in half and created two 18 inch straps (burn the ends with a flame after your cut to prevent fraying).

Sew one end of the strap to the loop on the clip and thread the other end of the strap into the other end of the clip and you have a matching strap!

 

I found the clips and strapping at JoAnn's and followed the directions on the back of the clips to attach the straps.

Slap a bit of all surface spray paint onto your pipe and you have a pretty professional looking Pet Barrier!

 

My dog does not try to break through this barrier, but if you have a dog who is bound and determined to get to you, you might want to create a center bar (duplicate the ends) to reinforce the barrier.

Good luck!