Do You Have A Safety Plan For Your Dog In The Event Of A Fire?
I know, it’s tough to think about what would happen if your house caught on fire. But, we wouldn’t be doing our jobs as pet parents if we didn’t think about the “what ifs” in life. National Pet Fire Safety Day allows us an excuse, if you will, to think about how to prevent our pets from starting fires, and to have an emergency plan in case a fire does occur.
Some of these tips may be common sense, but they are worth repeating. The AKC and ADT Security Services teamed up in 2010 to publish a list to help pet owners, and I thought it was a good one:
Preventing your pet from starting a fire:
- Put out open flames. Dogs are curious, so they will investigate. Make sure you always have an eye on them if you have an open flame (even in the fireplace!) to prevent them from getting too close and burning themselves. Also, make sure all open flames are extinguished before you leave the house (a good rule in general – but especially if you give your pet free reign while you’re gone!)
- Cover or Remove Stove Knobs. Those wonderful aromas wafting from the stove can be extremely enticing….and if you have a dog big enough to reach the knobs on its hind legs (or a small dog that can jump that high!) they can accidentally turn a stove knob on to a point that a fire can start. Always know where your pet is while cooking on a stove, and that will help prevent them jumping in the first place 😉
- Get Flameless Candles. I know, they may not be as “romantic”, but they sure can be a lot safer around pets. Especially if you are going to have them on a coffee or end table that a tail can easily swipe and knock something over. No flame = no fire!
- No glass water bowls on wooden decks. Remember that experiment with ants and the magnifying glass? Yeah, your dog’s glass water bowl can have the same effect on your wooden deck and start a fire. So, keep the outside water bowls to the stainless steel, ceramic, or plastic variety and keep them in the shade!
In the event of a fire:
- Keep them in a room close to an exit if you are gone. Firefighters can easily get to and rescue them if they are close to an entrance. Be sure to keep a collar/tag on them at all times so the firefighters can catch them. They will be scared, so they might dart away – the ID will help your pet get back to you safely.
- Confine the young ones. Puppies need to be contained for their safety – and the safety of your home. Confine them in a crate or behind a baby gate in a room that doesn’t have a fire hazard.
- Get monitored smoke detectors. Your pet can’t get out of the house by itself, I don’t care how smart you think it is ;-P Having a monitored smoke detector that is connected to a monitoring center can give you more piece of mind. If they call you, you can alert the center about your pets, and they can pass along that information to first-responders.
- Put a pet-alert window cling on your window. They allow you to write down the number of pets that are in the house so a firefighter knows exactly how many pets need rescuing. No, they may be “pretty”, but they could help save your pet’s life.
I hope this was helpful, and be sure to get a fire safety plan in order to make sure your pet is taken care of!
Related: 6 Ways to Give Pet First Aid Without an Emergency Kit
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