wire dog crate as baggage

[jgkershner]

I have an emotional support animal traveling with me and we have a collapsable wire dog crate.  It's the kind with a plastic "pan" on the bottom.  When collapsed it is less than the 62" L x W x H and less than 50 lbs.  I would like to check it as one of my two pieces of baggage but am looking for how I can wrap it or contain it.  Is it required to be in a bag, a box?  Can I hook the the collapsed sides together and just put it in the luggage?  I have two weeks until travel and can prepare if I can get some guidance.

It looks like this

[dfwskier]

You could check it naked, but would likely have to sign a waiver absolving the airline of responsibility for any damage that might occur.

Thus it would be advisable to find some way of getting two pieces of cardboard around the two sides