Animal crate assembly

An animal crate assembly, comprising:

• a plurality of members formed by a plurality of interconnecting horizontal and vertical wires and defining an interior of the crate assembly;
• a door frame formed by at least one of the plurality of members, the door frame having a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that define an opening for an animal to pass therethrough to enter or exit the interior of the crate assembly;
• a door comprising a plurality of interconnected horizontal and vertical wires that is coupled to the door frame, the door being movable between an open position and a closed position;
• a shelf assembly disposed within the interior of the crate assembly, the shelf assembly comprising a body formed by a front end, a back end, a first side end, a second side end, and a top;
• a shelf frame comprising a plurality of wires including a first elongate wire and a second elongate wire spaced from but parallel to one another, each of the first and second elongate wires comprising hook ends coupled to at least two horizontal wires of the plurality of members;
• and
• a shelf hook coupled to the shelf frame, the shelf hook comprising a shelf hook wire having a first end, a second end, and a curved portion defined therebetween, the shelf hook wire forming a catch portion between the first end and the curved portion and the second end and the curved portion;
• wherein, when the shelf frame is coupled to the at least two horizontal wires of the plurality of members, a side panel horizontal wire separate from the at least two horizontal wires of the plurality of members is disposed within the catch portion of the shelf hook.

A method of opening a door of an animal crate assembly defining an interior and an exterior, the door including a tab opening and being pivotally coupled to a door frame having a tab, the method comprising:

• preventing opening of the door with a latch assembly in a rest position, the latch assembly pivotally coupled to the door frame and having a transverse portion, located at the exterior of the animal crate assembly, and a curved portion connected to the transverse portion, the curved portion located at the interior of the animal crate assembly;
• moving the curved portion from the interior to the exterior of the animal crate assembly by pivoting the latch assembly from the rest position to a clearance position;
• lifting the door vertically with respect to the door frame to align the tab openings with the tab;
• and
• pivoting the door with respect to the door frame to open the door.