Dog's death leads to protective pet invention

MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- After 10 years of hard work one CT woman's product heads to market and she's hoping it will save many dogs' lives.

Milford resident Debra Silver-Haley was walking her dog at night more than a decade ago when she tripped and fell and let go of the leash. Her beloved dog Joe was quickly hit and killed by a car.

"He got upset, we didn't have a light which was dumb, and he got hit by the car," said Haley.

She turned her grief into a goal; that goal being to prevent other dogs from meeting a similar fate. She spent the next 10 years inventing a product that would make dogs more visible to cars at night. The PetBeam is her answer.

The adjustable, lightweight collar slips easily over a dog's head and lights up with the press of a button to make the dog visible to oncoming traffic.

"There. Or let's say you just want the red flasher," Haley said exampling her invention. "It's a paw shape little button to press, so everything on this collar, on this unit, was so engineered and thought out, it was detailed."

Haley worked with local engineers and manufacturers to create what she calls the perfect prototype.

The entire product was made in CT by state residents, so everything is made locally and is environmentally friendly.

"Everything here is green, it ships in a disposable box," Haley said, "these are extremely biodegradable."

The PetBeam, which is priced at $39.95, is now available for purchase online.

"Overwhelming," said Haley, "I can't even believe it, it was just dogged determination. I just couldn't stop."