Parcel Shelves - What are they, What do they do? Discuss!

Perhaps I should first explain. When The Owner had a car, before he disappeared last year, I rode in the back. I like riding in the back, it's my favourite! He would normally open the tailgate and I would jump in, ok, there were one or two rapid changes of plan, when, half way through the jump, I would realise that the back of the car was already full of heaven knows what! In which case I would have to ride in the foot well on the passenger side at the front. But I like cars and that's the way I ride in them!

Now, back to the story in hand. I was sat in the garden watching a bee trying to land on my nose which as everyone knows is a particularly tiring activity, when a black car pulled up outside. I thought at first that The Owner had got a car again but no, it was Owners Sister! She got out of the car followed by a little spaniel thing that had far too many opinions than was good for him in my mind...........and a horse! She said it was a dog, called Millie, but if I explain that I could almost run underneath her without breaking stride you'll understand my reasons for believing her to be a horse. It was then that my little faux pas occurred. The car door was left open and ever hopeful of a little trip out somewhere....... anywhere really, so I hopped in! I thought I had better be a little nippy about it or else I may have been rumbled, so I jumped (in a very athletic manner I thought) from the front seat to the back seat and then without slowing, over the back seat to get into the boot.......... Now I have never come across a parcel shelf in a car before and I am guessing I may not come across that one again, judging by the way that what was left of it after The Owner helped me out of the car, was shovelled up and into the dustbin. Does anyone have a spare parcel shelf for a black car like the one The Owner used to drive? I may have a use for it!